The Edmonton Oilers hope to even the series at one win apiece when they visit the Florida Panthers on Monday for Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton, which was making its first appearance in the Final since 2006, outshot Florida 32-18 in Saturday's opener but was unable to break through against Sergei Bobrovsky, who posted his second shutout of the postseason. The Panthers recorded just one victory against the Vegas Golden Knights in last year's Final and matched that total behind goals from Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen in Game 1.
Opening faceoff at Amerant Bank Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET. Florida is a -135 favorite (risk $135 to win $100) in the latest Panthers vs. Oilers odds from the SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Oilers vs. Panthers picks, you need to check out the NHL predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
SportsLine's model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times, taking into account factors like current form, individual matchups, injuries and short- and long-term trends when making NHL picks. It entered the 2024 NHL playoffs on a 7-4 run on top-rated puck-line picks.
Now, the model has set its sights on Panthers vs. Oilers and just locked in its NHL picks and Stanley Cup Final predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the latest NHL odds and trends for Oilers vs. Panthers:
- Panthers vs. Oilers money line: Florida -135, Edmonton +115
- Panthers vs. Oilers over/under: 5.5 goals
- Panthers vs. Oilers puck line: Florida -1.5 (+188)
- FLA: C Sam Bennett led all players with 11 hits in Game 1
- EDM: C Connor McDavid registered a game-high six shots on goal in the opener
- Panthers vs. Oilers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Panthers
After missing five games with an undisclosed injury, Bennett has been one of the top offensive players for the Panthers in the postseason. The 27-year-old center returned to the lineup for Game 3 of Florida's second-round series against the Boston Bruins and has landed on the scoresheet in eight of 11 contests, registering five goals and four assists in that span. Bennett is riding a four-game point streak as he set up Rodrigues' tally on Saturday after scoring a goal in each of the final three games of the Eastern Conference final versus the New York Rangers.
Captain Aleksander Barkov notched a pair of assists in Game 1 against the Oilers for his seventh multi-point performance of the postseason. The 28-year-old center, who won his second career Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward this season, is tied with Matthew Tkachuk for the team lead with 19 points in these playoffs. Verhaeghe, who scored the game-winner in the series opener on Saturday, tops the Panthers with 10 goals this postseason and is first on franchise's all-time playoff list with 25. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back the Oilers
Edmonton was shut out only three times during the regular season and bounced back in emphatic fashion each time. The Oilers won all three games after getting blanked, scoring five or more goals in each victory. McDavid netted two tallies and set up seven others in those triumphs, recording a career-best six-assist performance against the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 13, and Leon Draisaitl amassed one goal and five assists while Evander Kane tallied in each contest.
The 27-year-old McDavid leads all players with 31 points this postseason and has been kept off the scoresheet in only five of his 19 games. Draisaitl has registered 28 points and is four away from matching the career high he set during the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. The 28-year-old German center is the playoff leader with six power-play goals and has gone without a point just three times. Defenseman Evan Bouchard ranks third in the league with 27 postseason points and trails McDavid (26) by five for the lead in assists. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Panthers vs. Oilers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Panthers vs. Oilers in Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, and which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Oilers vs. Panthers money line to jump on Monday, all from the advanced model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times.
