Panthers vs. Oilers Odds
Panthers Odds | +105 |
Oilers Odds | -125 |
Total | 5.5 -105o / -115u |
Here's everything you need to know about the Panthers vs. Oilers odds for Game 4 on Saturday, June 15 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
The Stanley Cup will be at Rogers Place on Saturday, as the Florida Panthers look to complete the sweep and capture the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup title.
Despite weather challenges that delayed their arrival in Edmonton by several hours, the Panthers delivered another composed performance when the series shifted north for Game 3. They rode strong goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky and a standout performance from captain Aleksander Barkov to a 4-3 win.
After the game, the Oilers said all the right things about believing that they’re still in the series, and the numbers back them up. The oddsmakers are also giving them the edge to stay alive in Game 4. However, the opportunity to defeat the clinical Panthers to complete their Cup quest at plus money is great value that should turn bettors' heads.
Here's why you should back Florida to complete the NHL's first Stanley Cup sweep since 1998.
Florida dished out one sweep last year, winning four straight one-goal games against the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final.
The final game was a back-and-forth affair in which the Hurricanes outshot the Panthers 39-24. But Florida never trailed in the 4-3 win, and punched its ticket to the Stanley Cup Final off Matthew Tkachuk’s game-winner with five seconds left in the third period.
That’s unflinching.
Against Edmonton, Florida holds an 11-4 scoring edge through the first three games, even though the Oilers are out-shooting the Panthers by an average of more than five shots a game.
With a .953 save percentage in the series, Sergei Bobrovsky has saved 4.53 goals above expected in all situations. Meanwhile, the Panthers are converting on an exorbitant 15.71 percent of their shots and have extinguished. Edmonton’s dangerous power play.
The Panthers are healthy. On Thursday, Barkov left no doubt that he’s still able to deliver his best despite having taken an elbow to the jaw from Leon Draisaitl late in Game 2. The two-time Selke-winning No. 1 center scored what proved to be the winner in Game 3 on his only shot of the game and also added an assist in 20:06 of ice time.
The Oilers controlled 55.60 percent of expected goals and 53.85 percent of high-danger chances at 5-on-5 in this series. But they've been outscored 4-0 in high-danger situations — and that has basically been the difference.
Edmonton's penalty kill, which has been a strength throughout the playoffs, has continued to be solid, at 8-for-9. Yet, that still leaves them with a special-teams differential of minus-1, since the Cats have killed off all 10 Oilers power plays.
With just four goals, all at 5-on-5, it doesn't take long to name Edmonton's scorers: Defensemen Philip Broberg and Mattias Ekholm, and forwards Ryan MacLeod and Warren Foegele.
Connor McDavid has three assists but Leon Draisaitl, a consistent playoff producer throughout his career, has been neutralized.
In the end, the discrepancy in goaltending is vast. Stuart Skinner has a 3.13 goals-against average and .868 save percentage in the series, and he sits at minus-2.16 goals saved above expected.
Edmonton is also more banged-up. Evander Kane was finally scratched for Game 3, and Darnell Nurse played limited minutes after sitting out most of Game 2. Neither player practiced on Thursday.
Fatigue may also be catching up to the Oilers. Though they've played only one game more than Florida, Evan Bouchard has logged 55 minutes more playoff ice time than Florida's busiest defenseman, Gustav Forsling. McDavid, Draisaitl and Zach Hyman have all played more minutes than the Panthers' most-used forward, Sam Reinhart.
Panthers vs. Oilers
Betting Pick & Prediction
After making a multi-month push just to get into the playoffs last season, the Panthers were out of gas by the time they ran into the healthy, better-rested Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.
They eked out one win on home ice but were soundly eliminated in a 9-3 loss in Vegas in Game 5.
This year, the script has been flipped. Florida is healthy, confident and knows how to win. And while Edmonton's push back to the postseason began when Kris Knoblauch took over as coach barely a month into the season, the Oilers still had to work hard all year to climb back into the playoff picture.
When adversity struck in the earlier series against Vancouver and Dallas, they were able to regroup. But against a dominating Panthers team that shows no indication that it plans to let up, mounting one more comeback looks like it's too much to ask.
Expect Florida to show no mercy on Saturday, and for Aleksander Barkov to hoist the Stanley Cup on enemy ice at game's end.