Teams that got through the conference finals in similar fashion face off in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, which begins when the Florida Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 on Saturday. Florida defeated the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the opener of the Eastern Conference Final and lost the next two contests before posting three consecutive victories to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row and third time in franchise history. Edmonton followed the same script against the top-seeded Dallas Stars in the West to earn a shot at Lord Stanley’s Cup for the eighth time since entering the NHL in 1979-80 and first since 2006. The Oilers, who have won five championships, lost both meetings with the Panthers this season.
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, while the over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Oilers vs. Panthers picks or Stanley Cup Final predictions, 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 +117
- Panthers vs. Oilers over/under: 5.5 goals
- Panthers vs. Oilers puck line: Florida -1.5 (+185)
- FLA: The Panthers are 11-3 in their past 14 games at home
- EDM: The Oilers are 12-2 in their last 14 games on the road against Florida
- Panthers vs. Oilers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Panthers
Florida has one of the top snipers in the NHL in Sam Reinhart, who finished second in the league during the regular season with a career-high 57 goals. In addition, the 28-year-old center was first with 27 power-play tallies and ranked second with 11 game-winners, both of which also were personal bests. Reinhart has scored eight times in the playoffs for a combined total of 65 goals this campaign, eclipsing the franchise record of 59 Pavel Bure set in 1999-2000 and matched the following season.
All three of Reinhart’s goals against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final came with the man advantage, which increased his combined 2023-24 total to league-high 31 power-play goals. Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe share the team lead with four man-advantage tallies and tops the Panthers with nine goals overall this postseason. A 28-year-old center, Verhaeghe was an offensive force for Florida in the regular season, recording three goals and a pair of assists in the two meetings. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back the Oilers
The key to Edmonton’s ride to the Stanley Cup Final has been its special teams. The Oilers were fourth in the NHL on the power play during the regular season (26.3%) but have kicked it into another gear in the playoffs, going 19-for-51 for a 37.3% success rate. The club scored with the man advantage in each of its nine postseason games, then went 1-for-16 over its next seven contests before converting four of its five opportunities in the final two games against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.
Not surprisingly, the Oilers have the top two power-play goal scorers in the postseason. Center Leon Draisaitl has tallied six times with the man advantage, while five of left wing Zach Hyman’s league-leading 14 goals have come on the power play. Meanwhile, Edmonton has successfully killed 93.9% of its penalties to also rank first in the playoffs. The Oilers were 14-for-14 versus Dallas and are 28-for-28 on the penalty kill since allowing a power-play goal in the second period of Game 3 in their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Panthers vs. Oilers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 5.6 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 Panthers vs. Oilers in Game 1 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 Saturday, all from the advanced model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times.
