Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Prediction, NHL Odds
After Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final went to overtime, the Panthers and Oilers one-upped themselves in Game 2, with Florida pulling out a 5-4 win in overtime to tie the series. Can the Cats keep the positive momentum flowing in Game 3, or will Edmonton steal back home ice advantage?
Florida is a -140 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with the total set at 6.5.
Oilers vs. Panthers NHL Betting Odds
These teams have now played five straight one-goal games dating back to Game 7 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final. The concern is Edmonton’s ability to close, as the Panthers have won four of those five games.
This series is essentially sitting as a pick’em on the NHL futures board, with Florida at -115 and the Oilers at -110. It’s a big drop for Edmonton, who entered Game 2 as -235 favourites to win the Stanley Cup.
Oddsmakers rightfully expect this to be a long series, as the favoured exact series result is an Oilers win in seven games at +320. The biggest long shot is Edmonton winning the next three games at +650.
Now might be the best possible time to get Connor McDavid for the Conn Smythe. McDavid is +105 to win playoff MVP, clearly a better payout than his price of -160 ahead of Game 2. You can also grab McDavid at +175 to record 2+ goals in any game of the series.
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton will be kicking themselves after letting go a chance to take a 2-0 series lead to Florida. The Oilers largely outplayed the Panthers through the third period and the first overtime period of Game 2, but they seemed to run out of steam in the second overtime.
Evan Bouchard continued his strong play with a goal and two assists, while Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist. Corey Perry and Evander Kane also scored. Connor McDavid had three assists, extending his playoff scoring lead to 31 points (6G, 25A).
There was a surprise absence from Edmonton’s practice on Sunday, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sitting out with an undisclosed injury. Nugent-Hopkins, who played over 25 minutes in Game 2, is fourth on the Oilers with 18 points (5G, 13A) and listed as a game-time decision on Monday. Of course, Edmonton is also missing Zach Hyman, who is done for the playoffs with a wrist injury.
Florida Panthers
A couple of trade deadline acquisitions made the difference for Florida in Game 2. Brad Marchand scored the overtime winner, his second of the game, while Seth Jones finished with a goal and an assist. Marchand’s 10 career goals in the Cup Final are the most of any active player in the NHL.
Depth has been the key to success for the Panthers throughout the playoffs. Florida has 11 different skaters who have recorded at least 11 points in these playoffs and nine players with four or more goals.
EDM
FLA