Edmonton has averaged 31 shots on goal across its last 14 games. Our expert Game 1 Stanley Cup Finals predictions expect the Oilers to pepper Panthers Sergei Bobrovsky, and for "Goalie Bob" to come up big.
NHL
It’s a Stanley Cup Final rematch, with the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers meeting for the second consecutive spring after the Cats took all seven games to top the Oil in 2024.
The two teams will hit the ice at Rogers Place for Game 1 on Wednesday, June 4, and my Panthers vs. Oilers predictions expect a solid showing from Cats netminder Sergei Bobrovsky in the opener.
Read on for my NHL picks for Wednesday, June 4.
Edmonton has been a force since falling to a 0-2 deficit in Round 1, with the Oilers winning 12 of their next 14 games, including a 6-1 record at Rogers Place.
While the Oilers have been led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the secondary scoring has provided a huge boost, and the top defense pairing receives a huge boost with Mattias Ekholm back in the fold.
The Oilers take Game 1.
My Panthers vs Oilers pick: Sergei Bobrovsky o24.5 saves (-120 at BET99)
Florida Panthers star Sergei Bobrovsky has dialed it in and allowed two goals or fewer in eight of his past nine starts while going 7-2 with a .944 save percentage, 1.34 GAA, and 13.73 goals saved above expected.
The two-time Vezina Trophy winner and reigning Stanley Cup Champion is building a Conn Smythe case, and the Cats will need Goalie Bob at his best in Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers.
As noted, Edmonton enters the series rolling along its own tear, after all.
The Oilers have won 12 of their past 14 games, averaging 4.14 goals and 31.6 shots per game. During this streak, Edmonton has gone 6-1 with 4.71 goals per game on home ice.
Florida has been the better possession team overall in the postseason with a solid 53.7 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five, while Edmonton enters with a 51.9% mark.
Still, with the Oil averaging 31.9 shots per home game, I’m expecting Bobrovsky to see close to 30 shots in Game 1. And, for what it’s worth, he stopped all 32 shots in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final last spring.
Oilers moneyline
Sergei Bobrovsky Over 24.5 saves
Evander Kane Over 2.5 shots on goal
In addition to the highlighted case for the Oilers to win Game 1, No. 1 goalie Stuart Skinner has flipped the script and put on a clinic during an active 6-1 run in the crease. He’s posted a .944 SV% and 1.41 GAA with 10.26 goals saved above expected, including going 3-0 on home ice.
Turning to the final leg of this same-game parlay, the return of winger Evander Kane has been huge for the Oil. Not only has he piled up 11 points – five goals – during the highlighted 14-game Edmonton heater, he’s also recorded an impressive 37 shots on 74 attempts while recording three or more shots in nine of the 14 contests.
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Odds courtesy of BET99
Edmonton is 9-1 straight up (SU) in its last 10 games when playing as the favorite. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs. Oilers.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs with Sportsbook Review, USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook, and RotoWire, among many others. He also co-hosted the Daily Fantasy Edge podcast and can now be seen offering expert golf and hockey advice on Covers’ Before you Bet broadcast.
Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.
Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.
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