The Stanley Cup Final begins on Wednesday when the Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers.
The pregame narrative: Edmonton and Florida made light work of their opponents in the conference final round, and now Connor McDavid and the Oilers look for revenge after a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Panthers last season. Edmonton has home-ice advantage and is 6-1 at Rogers Place this postseason.
Check out my Panthers vs. Oilers best bets for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, featuring Leon Draisaitl.
Panthers vs. Oilers best bets
Best Bet: Oilers over 3 goals (-134)
There’s no place like home for the Oilers.
Edmonton has run roughshod over anyone and everyone who has stepped foot into Rogers Place this postseason. The team is 6-1, covering a -1.5 puck line in five of those victories.
- The Oilers have scored at least three goals in every home game, averaging 4.7 goals in those contests.
- They are generating 13.69 high-danger chances per 60 at home. That’s the second-most of any playoff team, according to Natural Stat Trick.
I was debating just backing Edmonton to win, but I could see Florida keeping pace in a high-scoring affair.
The Panthers have scored five-plus goals in five of their last six games and averaged 4.2 goals in the Eastern Conference final.
The McDavid-and-Draisaitl-led offence can thrive in a track meet environment, and we saw that in last year’s duel against Florida.
The Oilers went 2-1 against the Panthers at home, falling 4-3 in the loss.
Key stat: Edmonton is 7-0-3 against this line at home in the playoffs, dating back to last year’s Stanley Cup Final against Florida.
Stanley Cup Final Game 1 picks
Draisaitl 1+ power play points (+110): Another reason I’m bullish on the Oilers to fill the net is their red-hot power play.
- Edmonton went 6-for-16 on the man advantage against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final, scoring a goal in all five games.
- Its 30.0% success rate in the playoffs is better than the league’s best team during the regular season (Winnipeg Jets, 28.9%).
Draisaitl logged a power-play point in all five games against the Stars, and his nine PP points are the most of any skater this postseason.
Florida likes to play on the edge and has taken the second-most penalties (58) this postseason. That averages out to 3.41 per game.
If we’re giving Draisaitl, McDavid and Co. north of six minutes at 5-on-4, I love their chances of converting.
Panthers vs. Oilers best bets made at 9:27 a.m. ET 06/02/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.