The Stanley Cup Final begins on Wednesday, when the Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers in a rematch of last year’s finale.
The pregame narrative: Tonight marks the beginning of a series which will define legacies. Florida, in its third consecutive Cup final, will enter dynasty talks with a win. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, meanwhile, are already all-time greats with just one thing missing from their resumes.
Check out my Panthers vs. Oilers SGP predictions, featuring Sam Bennett.
Panthers vs. Oilers predictions
Parlay: Oilers moneyline | Over 5.5 goals | Bennett 1+ points (+440)
Oilers moneyline (-130): Edmonton being down 0-2 in the opening round feels like a lifetime ago.
The Oilers, led by the spectacular play of McDavid and Draisaitl, are 12-2 since and have been truly dominant at home.
- Kris Knoblauch’s group is 6-1 at Rogers Place this postseason, covering a -1.5 puck line in five of those contests.
- The Oilers have scored 3+ goals in every home game, averaging 4.7 goals in those contests.
- They have generated 13.69 high-danger chances per 60 at home, according to Natural Stat Trick. The most of any playoff team to make it past the first round.
Florida won in Game 3 in Edmonton last year, but the Oilers responded emphatically with a pair of blowout wins in Games 4 and 6.
Special teams will play a large factor in this game and series. Panthers have taken 3.41 penalties per game this postseason, but own the best penalty kill.
However, no one has had a better PP than the Oilers, who found the net on the man advantage in every game against the Dallas Stars.
NHL SGP legs
Over 5.5 goals (-143): I think Edmonton will do most of the heavy lifting clearing this total, but expect Florida to pot a few against Stuart Skinner as well.
The netminder has had an up-and-down postseason, most recently stonewalling the Stars over the five-game gentleman’s sweep.
But he ranked outside the top 30 in save percentage and GAA during the regular season and is a pedestrian 17th in goals saved above expected per 60 this playoff, according to MoneyPuck.
The over is 11-5 against this number in Edmonton’s playoff games, and 12-5 in Florida’s games.
Bennett 1+ points (-129): I’m not exactly sold on Skinner’s play, and think Bennett can make his way onto the score sheet in this contest.
The winger has been a man on a mission this postseason, logging a team-high 10 goals and ranking second in points with 16 in 17 games.
He scored four goals and has seven points in the Eastern Conference Final, leading the team in xG (2.56), shots (16), and scoring chances (19).
Bennett has cashed this wager in seven of his last 10 games and skates alongside Matthew Tkachuk, who caught fire against the Hurricanes (two goals, seven points).
Panthers vs. Oilers predictions made at 11:02 a.m. ET 06/04/2025.
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.