The Hurricanes are up 2-0 in their second-round series against the Flyers, with Game 3 set for 8:00 p.m. ET at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday night. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Flyers are +140 home underdogs on the Moneyline, and the game’s total is set at O/U 5.5 goals.
Below, I’ll provide an Flyers vs. Hurricanes Game 3 prediction and pick.
Flyers vs. Hurricanes Game 3 prediction, preview
This Hurricanes team is simply more talented, deep and experienced than this young Flyers team, and it showed when Carolina overcame an early 2-0 first-period deficit to ultimately win the game in overtime. Carolina was a top 5v5 team during the regular season, and its offensive play has somehow looked even better this postseason. The club has yet to lose a single game this postseason, and it has received Conn Smythe-worthy goaltending from veteran Frederik Andersen, who was showing signs of decline throughout the regular season. Andersen sports a stellar 1.02 GAA and .958 SV% with two shutouts across six starts thus far, and he ranks first in goals saved above expected. The Hurricanes have outscored the Flyers, 5-1, when playing at 5v5.
The Flyers must devise a new game plan if they want to avoid a quick four-game sweep, and they cannot just depend on Dan Vladar to stand on his head with no offensive production in return. Vladar has been the second-best goaltender this postseason, behind only Andersen, sporting a 1.89 GAA and .928 SV% across six starts, but he cannot score goals, which is what the Flyers need badly, especially at 5v5. The Hurricanes looked a bit rattled after the Flyers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but they steadied the ship and shut down any chances of sustaining efficient 5v5 play. Philadelphia isn’t controlling the puck often at even strength, ranking dead last in 5v5 Corsi%, while Carolina ranks third in that same category. For what it’s worth, the depth production has been promising; the club is just lacking production from its top-end players like Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny.
Flyers vs. Hurricanes Game 3 pick, best bet
Best Bet: CAR Hurricanes 60-Min Line (+105)
Outside of the Flyers’ two first-period goals within a minute of each other, the Hurricanes controlled Game 2. Just one of their first-round matchups against the Senators required an overtime period, and they were a top road team during the regular season with a 24-12-5 record.
Strong Lean: UNDER 5.5 Total Goals (-142)
The odds are a bit too rich for my liking, but the goaltender battle is elite, and each of the first two games of the series has gone under this total.
