Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers Game 3 Prediction, NHL Odds
The Florida Panthers might be at a disadvantage being at home for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night vs. Carolina because the Cats have been so good on the road of late. They are up 2-0 in the series and -145 favourites for Saturday with a total of 5.5 goals on the NHL odds.
Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL Betting Odds
I’m not sure what is considered the greatest four-game road run in Stanley Cup playoff history, but what defending Cup champion Florida has accomplished in its past four away games is nothing short of stunning: 6-1 victories in Games 5 and 7 of the East semifinals in Toronto, and then 5-2 and 5-0 wins in the first two games of the conference finals in Raleigh, N.C.
Carolina has to be devastated as it was among the NHL’s best regular-season teams on home ice at 31-9-1 and started 5-0 there in these playoffs before running into the Panthers. I absolutely never expected Florida to win both in this series. The Cats are +120 favourites to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
On the series line, Florida is now -650 (was -250 entering Game 2) and Carolina +475 (was +200). Same prices to win the Eastern Conference. A Panthers sweep is now the +170 leader, but I have to think the Hurricanes get at least one game – Florida in five is +300. The over-under for total games is 5.5, with the Under at -150. That it ends in four games is +170.
Not close to an overtime game yet in the series, and that there will be none is +120. I still like one at +135. The first shutout of the series was in Game 2. That it remains the only one is -275. I would lean that way but also think a second shutout at +240 is decent value.
Florida is 6-0 all-time in a best-of-seven series when leading it 2-0. Carolina is 2-9 when trailing one 2-0, and this is only the fourth time it lost the first two at home in a best-of-seven (1-2 in those three series).
Carolina Hurricanes
Former Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen was terrific in the first two rounds of these playoffs and among the Conn Smythe Trophy favourites entering Game 1 of this set. He’s now +1500 for that award after allowing five goals on 20 shots in the opener and then allowing four goals on 16 shots through two periods of the Game 2 loss before being pulled for Pyotr Kochetkov, who stopped four of five shots in relief in the third.
No word yet from Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour on who starts in net Saturday, but I’d think he has to let Kochetkov have a shot. He started Game 5 of Round 1 vs. New Jersey and got the OT win despite allowing four goals. The Russian was 8-12-2 with a 2.92 GAA and .886 SV during the regular season on the road. To make matters much worse for the Canes, top forward Seth Jarvis and blueliner Sean Walker were both hurt in Game 2 and in question Saturday. Jarvis leads the team with 12 playoff points, and Walker has three points and averages 18:24 of ice time.
Florida Panthers
Teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven series when starting on the road own an all-time series record of 89-22 (.802). Despite pitching a shutout in Game 2, Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky wasn’t even among the three stars – perhaps because he only faced 17 shots. It was the Russian’s third shutout of the 2025 postseason to set a franchise record for most in a single playoff year. The last goaltender with as many shutouts in a postseason was Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had five in 2021. Bobrovsky is now the +370 second-favourite for the Conn Smythe.
Sam Bennett was the No. 1 star of Game 2 with a goal and two helpers. He became the fourth player to record 50 career playoff points with the Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe notched his third career three-assist game in the postseason with Florida to pass Matthew Tkachuk for the most in franchise history. Verhaeghe also recorded his fourth three-point game and tied Tkachuk for the franchise lead. The only negative from Game 2 was star winger Sam Reinhart leaving with an injury and in question for Saturday. He led the team with 81 regular-season points and has a team co-leading 13 in these playoffs. Florida is now 6-0 all-time vs. Carolina in the playoffs. This was supposed to be a low-scoring, tight series. I think we see that Saturday finally.
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