The Edmonton Oilers attempt to get back in the series when they return home to host the Florida Panthers on Thursday for Game 3 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton suffered a 4-1 loss in Game 2 on Monday and trails two games to none in its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since 2006. Evan Rodrigues scored the first of his two goals 3:11 into the third period to snap a tie and help put Florida two wins away from the first championship in franchise history. The Panthers hope to have Aleksander Barkov in the lineup as the captain is questionable for Thursday’s contest with an apparent head injury after being on the receiving end of a high hit by Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl in the third period of Game 2.
Opening faceoff at Rogers Place is set for 8 p.m. ET. Edmonton is a -134 favorite (risk $134 to win $100) in the latest Oilers vs. Panthers odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Panthers vs. Oilers 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 Stanley Cup Final on a 7-4 run on top-rated puck-line picks.
Now, the model has set its sights on Oilers vs. Panthers 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 Panthers vs. Oilers:
- Oilers vs. Panthers money line: Edmonton -134, Florida +113
- Oilers vs. Panthers over/under: 5.5 goals
- Oilers vs. Panthers puck line: Edmonton -1.5 (+198)
- EDM: The Oilers have been outscored 13-1 in the third period over their last nine games
- FLA: The Panthers are 5-2 when trailing after one period this postseason
- Oilers vs. Panthers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Oilers
Edmonton failed to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities in the series opener but grabbed a 1-0 lead in Game 2 on its first shot of the contest. Mattias Ekholm recorded the goal at 11:17 of the first period for the Oilers, who rank first in the postseason with 15 tallies from their defensemen. It was the fifth goal of the playoffs for the 34-year-old Swede, who scored in each of the first three games of Edmonton’s second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks.
Captain Connor McDavid notched his 27th assist of the playoffs in Game 2 and needs four more to match the all-time record for most in one postseason set in 1998 by the legendary Wayne Gretzky. The 27-year-old McDavid leads all players with 32 points in these playoffs and has been kept off the scoresheet in only five of Edmonton’s 20 games. McDavid has registered a series-high nine shots on goal over the first two contests, including half of the six recorded by Oilers forwards in Game 2. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back the Panthers
Florida is receiving a huge effort in the Stanley Cup Final from Rodrigues, who has beaten Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner on all three of his shots in the series. The 30-year-old center, who is in his first season with the Panthers, netted just three tallies in 17 games over the first three rounds of the playoffs – including two in Game 3 of the second-round matchup against the Boston Bruins. Rodrigues, who became the first player in franchise history to record a multi-goal performance in the Stanley Cup Final, entered this postseason with four goals in 16 career playoff contests.
The Panthers, who are 4-0 in best-of-seven series when winning the first two games, have allowed a total of six goals during their current five-game winning streak. Sergei Bobrovsky has turned aside all but one of Edmonton’s 51 shots in the Final and has given up fewer than three goals in 12 of his last 13 outings. Sam Bennett notched an assist on defenseman Aaron Ekblad’s empty-net tally on Monday to extend his point streak to five games. The 27-year-old center has landed on the scoresheet in seven of his last eight contests and 10 of 14 overall this postseason. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Oilers vs. Panthers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 7.1 combined goals. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Oilers vs. Panthers in Game 3 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 Panthers vs. Oilers money line to jump on Thursday, all from the advanced model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times.
