The Florida Panthers look to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Monday for Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers are three wins away from the first championship in franchise history after posting a 3-0 victory in the opener on Saturday. Carter Verhaeghe, one of two players on Florida’s roster who has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup after having won it in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, scored his team-leading 10th goal of the playoffs and Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for his second shutout of the postseason.
Opening faceoff at Amerant Bank Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET. Florida is a -139 favorite (risk $139 to win $100) in the latest Panthers vs. Oilers odds from the SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Oilers vs. Panthers picks, you need to check out the NHL predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
SportsLine’s model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times, taking into account factors like current form, individual matchups, injuries and short- and long-term trends when making NHL picks. It entered the 2024 NHL playoffs on a 7-4 run on top-rated puck-line picks.
Now, the model has set its sights on Panthers vs. Oilers and just locked in its NHL picks and Stanley Cup Final predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the latest NHL odds and trends for Oilers vs. Panthers:
- Panthers vs. Oilers money line: Florida -139, Edmonton +118
- Panthers vs. Oilers over/under: 5.5 goals
- Panthers vs. Oilers puck line: Florida -1.5 (+183)
- FLA: C Sam Bennett led all players with 11 hits in Game 1
- EDM: C Connor McDavid registered a game-high six shots on goal in the opener
- Panthers vs. Oilers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Panthers
Chances were scarce for Florida over the first 40 minutes of Game 1, but the club made the most of the few it had. Verhaeghe scored on the Panthers’ first of only four shots in the opening period and Evan Rodrigues tallied early in the second, a session in which the team registered eight shots. The 28-year-old Verhaeghe is one goal shy of matching the franchise record for most in one postseason set by Matthew Tkachuk during last year’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Verhaeghe’s goal was all the support needed by Bobrovsky, who stonewalled an Edmonton team that was shut out just three times during the regular season. The 35-year-old Russian goaltender also blanked the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. Since allowing four goals in the opener of Florida’s second-round series against the Boston Bruins, Bobrovsky has given up two tallies or fewer in 11 of the Panthers’ 12 playoff contests. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back the Oilers
Edmonton was not without scoring opportunities in the series opener, as it recorded 25 shots over the first two periods and had several breakaway chances. Despite going 0-for-3 on Saturday, the Oilers still are extremely dangerous on the power play, converting 35.2% of the time with the man advantage this postseason. Center Leon Draisaitl leads all players with six power-play goals, while left wing Zach Hyman ranks second with five, and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has converted four times.
The Oilers also have been superb in the playoffs when down a player, as they have a league-leading 94.1% success rate on the penalty kill. The club has not given up a power-play goal since Game 3 of its second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks, denying its opponents on 30 consecutive man-advantage opportunities after Florida went 0-for-2 in Game 1. Edmonton has the top four players in points this postseason, as superstar center Connor McDavid leads the way with 31 and is followed by Draisaitl (28), defenseman Evan Bouchard (27) and Nugent-Hopkins (20). See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Panthers vs. Oilers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Panthers vs. Oilers in Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, and which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Oilers vs. Panthers money line to jump on Monday, all from the advanced model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times.
