We have a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers and Oilers set to face off in Game 1 tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The defending Cup champion Panthers are +110 underdogs on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook with the game total set at O/U 6.5 goals.
Per the DraftKings Sportsbook betting splits page, 52% of the bets and 57% of the money have been placed on Oilers Moneyline (-130). Is Edmonton’s revenge factor going to be strong enough in Game 1? See below for a full preview of tonight’s Oilers vs. Panthers matchup as well as my top prediction and pick.
Oilers vs. Panthers Game 1 preview
The great Frank Sinatra once said that the best revenge is massive success and there is no greater success in hockey than hoisting the Stanley Cup. The Oilers come into Game 1 with revenge on their minds after losing to the Panthers in seven games last year. Very rarely does a team get its second crack at a championship the following season against the same team but that’s exactly what happened. Since falling to an early 0-2 deficit in the first round against Los Angeles, Edmonton flipped a switch and has posted a 12-2 record, out-scoring its opponents, 58-to-33.
Both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each totaled 22 points in that 14-game span, and rank first and second, respectively, in points this postseason. McDavid, in particular, is on another level right now, having posted nine games this postseason with at least two points. Four of those games came in the previous round, too, so McDavid is coming into the series with both revenge and momentum. Stuart Skinner has posted a .931 save percentage and 1.73 GAA since taking back the starting role, and the return of Mattias Ekholm further bolsters the defense and penalty kill.
While the Panthers don’t have a McDavid or a Draisaitl, they are the better overall team with the edge in depth, special teams play and defense. Sergei Bobrovsky has been even better than Skinner, posting a .912 save percentage to go along with a 2.11 GAA and 8.5 goals saved above expected. 21-of-22 skaters have recorded at least one point and the top six led by Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett are more than capable of filling up the stat sheet.
Oilers vs. Panthers Game 1 prediction, pick
This series is almost certainly lasting six or seven games. The Oilers have posted a 6-1 record at home this postseason, out-scoring their opponents, 33-to-17, and the Panthers have gone 8-2 on the road, out-scoring their opponents, 48-to-21. These two teams met twice in the regular season with Florida winning both matchups by one goal each. Edmonton has been stellar at home this postseason but Florida has been just good on the road and took care business during the regular season.
The one time I faded the Panthers and rolled with the public was the Game 6 loss against the Maple Leafs––I won’t be doing that again. 63% of the bets on DraftKings Sportsbook are on Panthers -1.5 (-220) on the Puck Line, which is certainly a good play and parlay builder. I’m taking it a step further and backing the Panthers straight up on the Moneyline at plus odds.
