The Stanley Cup Playoffs have their first finalist. Florida advanced in the East, getting by Carolina 5-3 to win their Eastern Conference Final in five games. Meanwhile, Edmonton chased Jake Oettinger and eliminated Dallas 6-3 last Thursday night. Both teams have had plenty of rest, and finally, bettors and fans alike have made it to the final round.
Oilers and Panthers Meet Again
Stuart Skinner and Sergei Bobrovsky will square off once more, much like Aleksander Barkov going up against Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. There are some new wrinkles, though. For one, Matthew Tkachuk is relatively healthy, and so is Draisaitl. However, Zach Hyman is out for the series (upper body). But wait, there is more.
Brad Marchand is on the Panthers. Let that sink in! Imagine Marchand (10 assists) as a middle-six agitator who can go up against Draisaitl and McDavid. Florida’s depth, led by Evan Rodrigues, Carter Verhaeghe, and Sam Bennett, has reinforcements. Edmonton got Mattias Ekholm back against Dallas and looks to be improving.
Florida and Edmonton are the two best teams in the league. It is not close. What may be close is this series. I will get to that below. Anyway, the goaltenders will be under siege for the entire series. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 151 of 168 shots against Edmonton last year, but everyone talks about the Game 3 and Game 7 wins.
For as good as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been all postseason for Edmonton, players like Adam Henrique and especially Evander Kane must figure it out. Kane has 11 points, but his ice time has trended downward, which is troubling. Darnell Nurse has disappeared offensively, and defensively is still a liability.
Besides liking the idea of both teams scoring in the first period, there is the idea of over 1.5 goals in the first period, and more. Yes, sportsbooks offer playing time props for the Stanley Cup Final. We have have a page that explains NHL betting in detail. Barkov and McDavid are going to see a lot of each other. Get used to it!
Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Bets: Aleksander Barkov Over 20:30 ice time (-115 via DraftKings) and Connor McDavid Over 22:45 ice time (-115 via DraftKings).
Stanley Cup Odds, Prop Bets
Here is the latest heading into Game 1:
- Edmonton was a -130 favorite to win Game 1 and a -120 favorite to win the series.
- Florida is around +100, depending on the sportsbook.
Florida and Edmonton have one additional twist. Connor Brown came down with an illness early in the week and is now a game-time decision for Game 1. Brown is far from a difference maker, but one has to wonder if the illness has spread. This is a typical question.
Despite these quirks, many have set in the reality of a longer series. This makes a repeat of last year’s seven-game Florida conquest more possible. Could it happen again? Edmonton has the front-end talent to make this highly entertaining once more.
Edmonton does not have Zach Hyman and may not have Connor Brown. That will hurt some against a team that has scored 48 goals in 10 games on the road. Florida can play any style and counters brilliantly on offense, especially when they do not miss the net. A longer series is very much in the cards.
Series Market Props: Series to go six games (+200 via Caesars), Over 6.5 Games (+190 via BetMGM).
Final Wager For Game 1 on Wednesday Night
Hey, the idea here is to see some goals in Game 1. This is partly because Edmonton knows they cannot start scoring one goal in two games like last year versus Florida. This increased urgency should allow for more opportunities. The feel-out process will be fast. Would it be surprising to see both teams score three or more goals? Absolutely not!
Last Call: Florida and Edmonton Over 6.5 Goals (+110 via FanDuel).
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