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The Florida Panthers hope to have learned from their experience last postseason and strike first when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Florida reached the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history last year but was manhandled by the Vegas Golden Knights, losing in five games while being outscored by at least three goals in three of its defeats. Edmonton is making its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since 2006 when the Oilers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers won both regular-season meetings with the Oilers, scoring five goals in each victory.
Opening faceoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. Florida is a -137 favorite (risk $137 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 -137, Edmonton +116
- Panthers vs. Oilers over/under: 5.5 goals
- Panthers vs. Oilers puck line: Florida -1.5 (+186)
- 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 is the more experienced team, as 13 players on the roster saw action during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final last year. One of them is left wing Matthew Tkachuk, who ranked third in the NHL with 24 points last postseason – two behind leader Jack Eichel of Vegas – and is sixth in the 2024 NHL playoffs with 19. The 26-year-old has tallied in just one of his last 11 games but has set a franchise single-playoff record with 14 assists, one more than his total last postseason.
Vladimir Tarasenko fittingly scored the goal that ultimately sent the Panthers to this year’s Stanley Cup Final, tallying just over nine minutes into the third period of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers to create a 2-0 lead and end his eight-game drought. The 32-year-old Russian right wing, who finished 2022-23 with the Rangers and began this season with the Ottawa Senators, is the only player on the Panthers with his name on the Cup as he won the championship in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues. Center Carter Verhaeghe leads Florida with nine goals this postseason and was the team’s top scorer against Edmonton in the regular season with three goals and two assists in the two contests. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back the Oilers
Edmonton has tightened up in its own end even more than Florida has, giving up only four goals over its last three contests after losing 5-3 to Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. The Oilers have been tremendous on special teams this postseason, ranking first on the power play (37.3%) and on the penalty kill (93.9%). The club has successfully killed 28 consecutive penalties, including all 14 in the conference final.
The Oilers have the top four players in points this postseason, with superstar center Connor McDavid leading the way with 31. The 27-year-old captain has notched 26 assists and needs five to tie the record for most in one postseason set in 1988 by the legendary Wayne Gretzky. Zach Hyman leads the league with 14 playoff goals after setting a career-high with a team-best 54 during the regular season, while center Leon Draisaitl is second in both points (28) and tallies (10). 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.