Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Prediction, NHL Odds
It’s a rematch one year in the making as the Oilers and Panthers prepare for Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday in Edmonton.
After dropping their first two games of the playoffs, the Oilers steamrolled through L.A., Vegas and Dallas to reach the Cup Final. The Panthers were similarly dominant, with series victories over Tampa Bay, Toronto and Carolina.
Edmonton is a -130 favourite to win Game 1 on the NHL odds, with the total pegged at 6.0.
Panthers vs. Oilers NHL Betting Odds
Of course, this is a rematch of last year’s Cup Final. Starting last year’s series at home, Florida quickly went up 3-0, before the Oilers battled back to force a Game 7. The series ultimately ended with the Panthers’ first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Florida also swept this year’s regular season series. High performance goaltending was at a premium as the teams combined for 11 and seven goals respectively in the two games. That’s not shocking as the Over has hit in six of the last seven games between the teams. Game 7 last year’s Stanley Cup Final was the only Under in that stretch.
Home ice advantage proved to be a significant factor in last year’s series, but something will have to give this year as Edmonton is 9-2 in their last 11 home dates, while the Panthers have won five straight on the road.
The Oilers are opening the series as -125 favourites to win on the NHL futures board. That makes Florida’s +105 value fairly attractive as the defending Cup champions.
Oddsmakers are expecting a long series. The favoured exact series result is Edmonton winning in six games, Edmonton winning in seven, or Florida winning in six, all priced at +425. The biggest long shots are an Oilers sweep (+1200) or a Panthers sweep (+1400).
Connor McDavid enters the series as a +100 favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. For what it’s worth, despite McDavid winning the Conn Smythe last year, I doubt the NHL would award the trophy to a player from the losing team two years in a row. Make your Conn Smythe pick based on what team you think will win the Stanley Cup.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers are playing in their third straight Stanley Cup Final, but they haven’t showed any signs of slowing down and actually looked more dominant as the playoffs have gone on. It all starts will captain Aleksander Barkov. Known for his strong defensive play, Barkov also has elite offensive upside and leads Florida with 17 points (6G, 11A) this postseason.
It’s not just Barkov, however, as 10 players have 11 or more postseason points. When it comes down to it, Florida’s depth is their biggest strength.
You can’t win the Stanley Cup without great goaltending and that’s exactly what the Panthers are getting from Sergei Bobrovsky, who is 12-5 (three shutouts) in the playoffs with a 2.11 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. Bobrosvky was actually torched for 13 goals in the first three games of the second round. Since then, he is 7-2 with a 1.34 GAA and .934 SV.
Edmonton Oilers
We all know who drives the bus in Edmonton, the dynamic dup of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who lead the playoffs with 26 and 25 points, respectively. The Oilers have seven players with at least 10 playoff points and nine who have scored at least four goals.
And while Zach Hyman is done for the postseason with an upper-body injury, Connor Brown is expected to draw back into the lineup for Game 1. Brown, who missed the last two games of the Western Conference Final with an undisclosed injury, has been a solid depth piece with five goals and three assists in 14 playoff games.
Goaltending is the biggest question mark for Edmonton. Stuart Skinner lost the net after two atrocious performances in the first round, but he’s been great since Calvin Pickard went down with an injury. Since Game 3 of the second round, Skinner is 6-1 (three shutouts) with a 1.41 GAA and .944 SV. Bottom line, the Oilers Cup chances could come down to what version of Skinner shows up in the Final.
FLA
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