The Edmonton Oilers attempt to begin a rare comeback when they host the Florida Panthers for Game 3 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on Thursday evening. Making its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since 2006, Edmonton suffered a 4-1 loss on Monday to fall behind 0-2 in the series. Only five of 54 teams have gone on to win the Stanley Cup Cup after losing the first two games, with the last being the 2011 Boston Bruins. The Panthers, who went 1-8 in their first two trips to the Stanley Cup Final, have outscored the Oilers 7-1 and are two victories away from the first championship in franchise history.
Opening faceoff at Rogers Place is set for 8 p.m. ET. Edmonton is a -137 favorite (risk $137 to win $100) in the latest Oilers vs. Panthers odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Panthers vs. Oilers 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 Stanley Cup Final on a 7-4 run on top-rated puck-line picks.
Now, the model has set its sights on Oilers vs. Panthers 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 Panthers vs. Oilers:
- Oilers vs. Panthers money line: Edmonton -137, Florida +116
- Oilers vs. Panthers over/under: 5.5 goals
- Oilers vs. Panthers puck line: Edmonton -1.5 (+192)
- EDM: The Oilers have been outscored 13-1 in the third period over their last nine games
- FLA: The Panthers are 5-2 when trailing after one period this postseason
- Oilers vs. Panthers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Oilers
Edmonton is one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the NHL as it finished fourth during the regular season with 292 goals and ranks first in the postseason with 64. Zach Hyman leads all players with 14 tallies in the playoffs after netting a career-high 54 in the 2023-24 campaign. The Oilers also have the top four players in points in these playoffs and captain Connor McDavid sits atop the list with 32, making him just the sixth skater in history with multiple postseasons of 30 or more points.
The 27-year-old McDavid also is first in the league with 27 assists and needs five to break the record for most in one postseason set in 1988 by Edmonton legend Wayne Gretzky. Center Leon Draisaitl is tied for second in both goals (10) and points (28), defenseman Evan Bouchard also has notched 28 points and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has recorded 20. The 24-year-old Bouchard has amassed 22 assists, three shy of the mark for most by a blue-liner established in 1985 by former Oilers superstar - and current assistant coach - Paul Coffey. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back the Panthers
Much like it did against the New York Rangers for most of the Eastern Conference final, Florida has stifled an Edmonton offense that leads the NHL with 64 goals in the postseason. The Panthers, who have allowed fewer than three tallies in 12 of their last 13 contests, limited the Oilers to seven shots over the first two periods of Game 2 and are 7-for-7 on the penalty kill thus far against a team that entered the Stanley Cup Final with a league-best 37.3% success rate on the power play. Florida also found a way to penetrate Edmonton's top-ranked penalty-killing unit on Monday, as Evan Rodrigues scored at 12:26 of the third period to end the Oilers' streak of 34 consecutive successful kills.
It capped a two-goal performance by Rodrigues, who became the first player in franchise history to register one in the Stanley Cup Final as he also tallied 3:11 into the third to snap a 1-1 tie. The 30-year-old center has scored three goals over the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final after entering the series with three in 17 contests this postseason. Sergei Bobrovsky has stopped 50 of the 51 shots he has faced in this series, while center Sam Bennett enters Thursday with a five-game point streak during which he has collected three goals and three assists. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Oilers vs. Panthers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 7.1 combined goals. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Oilers vs. Panthers in Game 3 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 Panthers vs. Oilers money line to jump on Thursday, all from the advanced model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times.
