The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers meet for a potentially series-deciding Game 6 on Tuesday.
The pregame narrative: Florida is one win away from defending its Stanley Cup title and reaching dynasty status. Edmonton, meanwhile, must buckle down defensively to stave off elimination after giving up 23 goals through the first five games.
Check out my Oilers vs. Panthers SGP predictions, featuring Leon Draisaitl and Brad Marchand.
Oilers vs. Panthers predictions
Parlay: Oilers +2.5 | Draisaitl to score | Marchand 1+ points (+440)
Oilers +2.5 (-315): I can’t picture the Oilers going down without a fight.
Sure, Edmonton has failed to cover this line in two of five games this series. But we have to remember it was 14-2 against a +1.5 line before then.
And during the playoffs, Kris Knoblauch’s group has responded to all three of its multi-goal losses with a victory while averaging 5.0 goals per game. That includes a 5-4 win over the Panthers in Game 4.
The Oilers are very familiar with adversity, having erased a 3-0 deficit in the Cup Final last year to force Game 7. This will be a dog fight.
NHL SGP legs
Draisaitl to score (+120): Draisaitl has always been an elite playoff performer, but he’s taken things to another level this year.
The winger has scored an NHL record four overtime goals this postseason, and two of those have come in the Stanley Cup Final.
Overall, he’s buried 11 playoff goals and has four through five games against the Panthers. Draisaitl sits ninth all-time in playoff goals per game (.547), right ahead of Pavel Bure.
Edmonton is likely to deploy its “nuclear option” heavily evening, pairing Draisaitl with Connor McDavid. I expect fireworks whenever those two are getting heavy minutes together.
Marchand 1+ points (-124): Marchand is one win away from cementing himself as the greatest deadline acquisition ever. Perhaps I’m getting caught up in the moment, but the numbers don’t lie.
- 10 goals (third-most in playoffs)
- 20 points (seventh-most in playoffs)
- +18 (best in playoffs)
And he’s doing all of that at 37 years old.
Marchand has scored five goals in the Cup Final and is leading all Panthers with 22 shots on goal this series. He also ranks second in xG (2.18) and high-danger chances (eight).
Oilers vs. Panthers predictions made at 10:04 a.m. ET 06/17/2025.
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.