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The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers meet Tuesday in Game 5 of their best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers lead the series 3-1. Puck drop from Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Oilers vs. Panthers odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Panthers had a chance to secure the Stanley Cup in Canada in Saturday’s Game 4, but the host Oilers had other ideas.
Not only did Edmonton extend its season by at least 1 game, it dominated in an 8-1 victory while chasing Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky for the 1st time in these playoffs. Bobrovsky allowed just 4 goals on 86 shots in the first 3 games in this series, but the Oilers scored 5 goals on 16 shots in 24:53 of action Saturday, so coach Paul Maurice switched gears with backup Anthony Stolarz entering the game.
The Oilers outshot the Panthers 35-33 in Game 4, but Florida dominated in the hits department with a 49-to-29 advantage. Edmonton finally scored on the power play, although it was still just 1-of-6. Still, the Oilers entered 0-for-10 on the man advantage in the first 3 losses.
C Mattias Janmark got things started with a shorthanded goal 3:11 into the game. He would add an assist on the Oilers’ next goal. C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the goal scorer on the power play, with helpers from C Connor McDavid and C Leon Draisaitl.
McDavid scored his 1st goal of the series in Game 4, and he ended up with a 4-point night with 3 assists, too. He has 32 assists in the postseason, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s 1988 record of the most in a single playoff run.
All of the offensive support was welcome news for G Stuart Skinner, who turned aside 32 of 33 shots for his 1st victory since Game 6 against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.
Oilers at Panthers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:06 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Oilers +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Panthers -135 (bet $135 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Oilers +1.5 (-225) | Panthers -1.5 (+180)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Oilers at Panthers projected goalies
Stuart Skinner (12-8-0, 2.51 GAA, .898 SV%, 1 SO — 2024 playoffs) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (15-6-0, 2.27 GAA, .909 SV%, 2 SO — 2024 playoffs)
As mentioned, Skinner kicked aside 32 of the 33 shots in Game 4. It was his most saves since stopping 33 of 34 shots in the 2-1 Western Conference Final clincher against the Stars in Game 6 June 2. He has allowed 3 or fewer goals in 6 of his past 7 starts.
Bobrovsky is still on track for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the postseason despite the disastrous Game 4 showing. Bob has allowed just 1 goal on 51 shots in 2 home games in this series, and he has allowed 4 goals on 74 shots in the past 3 outings at Amerant Bank Arena.
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Oilers at Panthers picks and predictions
Prediction
Panthers 3, Oilers 2
Moneyline
The PANTHERS (-135) are a good bet to get the job done, securing their 1st Stanley Cup championship in franchise history Tuesday. If you love hockey, it’s always a sad time seeing the 3-foot, 35-pound sterling silver Cup come out of that case, with the 2 men with white gloves carrying it out in all of its glory. That means hockey season is over, and that’s exactly what we’ll get in Game 5.
Puck line/Against the spread
The Oilers +1.5 (-225) will cost 2.25 times your potential return, and that’s a little too expensive if you’re looking for little bit of insurance and you just can’t bring yourself to back Edmonton straight up.
PASS.
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Over/Under
UNDER 5.5 (-115) is the play again in Game 5 after the high-scoring outing last time out.
Edmonton racked up 8 goals in Game 4, but it managed just 1 goal in the first 2 games in South Florida. Expect Bobrovsky to bounce back in a big way in this close-out game.
The Oilers have cashed Under at a 9-4-1 clip in the past 14 postseason games. For the Panthers, the Under is 5-2 in the previous 7 outings, and 10-3 in the past 13 contests.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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