Ryan Hodges
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Hockey fans, we have finally made it to the bittersweet point of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Bitter because the NHL season has a maximum of 7 games left until the Fall. But sweet because the Stanley Cup Final is a special brand of professional sports and this series looks poised to deliver a classic. The proverbial unstoppable force meets the immovable object in a somewhat surprising but fantastic Stanley Cup Final. One of these teams will hoist the Lord Stanley’s Cup for the first time in their franchise’s history. Buckle up.
If you’re looking to have some action on this game, check out our Panthers vs Golden Knights SGP below. You can also read our NHL coverage for all of the playoff action.
Panthers ML (+110)
Under 6.5 (-160)
Matthew Tkachuk over 0.5 goals (+130)
Same Game Parlay odds: +500
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Panthers ML (+110)
It is difficult to justify seeing what the Panthers have done for the past 6 weeks and fading them. After all, they just bullied their way to clinching the Eastern Conference. It is not like Florida played against bad teams and squeaked away with series wins. They beat the Bruins who had the best regular season in NHL history, a star-studded Maple Leafs team, and the veteran-ridden Metropolitan division-winning Hurricanes. With only 4 losses through 3 series’ against very good teams, the Panthers look too good to bet against.
None of that is to say that the Golden Knights do not look good. But the Panthers have won 11 out of their last 12 games including 8 consecutive wins on the road. Until Florida gives us a reason to jump off of them, going back to well on their money line continues to be a good pick.
Under 6.5 (-160)
The under has hit in 8 out of the Panthers’ last 9 games. Over that span, Florida scored 24 goals for an average of just 2.67 goals per game. That is not exactly prolific, but they are 8-1 over that span. Their goal prevention has been just stellar in the past 2 series’. In that same 9-game span, the Panthers allowed just 16 goals for an average of 1.50 goals per game. Panthers trends favor the under.
The Golden Knights put up a 6-spot on the Stars to close out the Western Conference Finals. The total of that game still went under 6.5 thanks to Vegas flexing their strong goal prevention once again. The Golden Knights held Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in check enough to win that series in 6. The strong goal prevention of both Florida and Vegas looks great for an under-alternative 6.5 total.
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Matthew Tkachuk over 0.5 goals (+130)
What an animal Matthew Tkachuk has been this postseason. Similar to the Panthers as a whole, Tkachuk has given us no reason to jump off the wagon now. For any offense that the Panthers generate, it’s difficult to see Tkachuk not being right in the thick of it. He leads the Eastern Conference Champions in goals this postseason with 9, in assists with 12, and thus points with 21 in 16 games played. Of those 9 goals, game-winners have accounted for 4 of them. That is a heck of an encore to a 40-goal and 109-point season in 79 games played.
As the games get more and more important, Matthew Tkachuk continues to come through in the big moment. There is no reason to expect his play to drop off. Vegas is great at shutting the door. But so too was Boston, Toronto, and Carolina. Tkachuk has proven time and time again that regardless of the quality of the opponent, he can get the job done with a great supporting cast.
Check out our Panthers vs Golden Knights predictions
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