Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers odds, picks and predictions

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The Carolina Hurricanes (16-6-1) meet the Florida Panthers (14-9-1) Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena in the second end of a home-and-home series. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Hurricanes vs. Panthers odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Season series: Panthers lead 1-0 after 6-3 win Friday in the front-end of the home-and-home as moderate underdogs (+141) as the Over (6) cashed

Carolina is in a tough spot, as the top 2 goaltenders Frederik Andersen (knee) and Pyotr Kochetkov (concussion) are banged up. After Spencer Martin allowed 5 goals on 29 shots, the Canes might have to turn to their fourth-string goaltender Yaniv Perets.

The Panthers have 6 different goal scorers in their 6-3 win Friday, as Sergei Bobrovsky kicked aside 28 of the 31 shots he faced in the win. Florida has won 2 in a row after a 1-6-0 skid, and it’s the first time winning consecutive games since a 7-game win streak from Oct. 24-Nov. 9.

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Hurricanes at Panthers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Hurricanes -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Panthers -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Hurricanes +1.5 (-250) | Panthers -1.5 (+200)
Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Hurricanes at Panthers projected goalies

Yaniv Perets (0-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV% in 2023-24) vs. Spencer Knight (3-4-0, 2.63 GAA, .902 SV%)

Perets is likely to make his season debut, and his first-ever NHL start. The French-Canadian made a single save in a relief appearance Jan. 15, 2024 against the Los Angeles Kings in 12:46 in his only previous NHL appearance last season.

Knight allowed 2 goals on 29 shots last time out against the Washington Capitals in a 4-1 loss Monday. While he has a rough 1-3-0 record in 4 November starts, he has managed a strong 2.30 GAA and .906 SV%.

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Hurricanes at Panthers picks and predictions

Prediction

Panthers 5, Hurricanes 2

Moneyline

The PANTHERS (-110) are a good bet to sweep this home-and-home set.

It’s a tough spot for the Hurricanes (-110), as they either have to start Perets for his first NHL start on the road, or keep leaning into Martin, who has never been a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL. He is starting to show signs of breaking down after allowing 12 goals in 3 games since Monday.

Puck line/Against the spread

If you’re a little more adventurous, consider PANTHERS -1.5 (+200) at plus-money instead of just playing the moneyline.

The Panthers have won back-to-back games against the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes, outscoring the opposition 11-4 to cover the puck line in both outings. In the past 10 victories since Oct. 24, Florida has won by 2 or more goals 9 times. So, if you like the Panthers to win, you should also like them to cover.

Over/Under

The OVER 6.5 (-110) is the lean in the second end of this back-to-back.

The Over cashed Friday in Raleigh, and the Over has hit in 3 of the past 4 outings, with an average of 7.8 goals per game (GPG) in the span.

For Carolina, the Over has hit in 4 straight games, and, again, Perets might be making his first NHL start. That’s a tough assignment against the defending Stanley Cup champs on the road.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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