Mark Lammey
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If you’ve been checking out our NHL content since the start of the season and even before, then you may remember us picking the Edmonton Oilers to hoist the Stanley Cup. Well, they’re now just 4 games away from doing just that, and as we get set for their Game 1 against the Florida Panthers, it’s time to provide a 2024 Stanley Cup Final preview.
Along with our 2024 Stanley Cup Final preview, be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for the upcoming Oilers vs Panthers series!
2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
Stanley Cup Final winner odds
- Edmonton Oilers +115
- Florida Panthers -135
Conn Smythe Trophy odds
- Connor McDavid +190
- Alexander Barkov +400
- Sergei Bobrovsky +450
- Matthew Tkachuk +550
- Leon Draisaitl +950
- Evan Bouchard +1100
Stanley Cup Final Game 1 odds
Money Line
- Edmonton Oilers +114
- Florida Panthers -135
Puck Line
- Edmonton Oilers +1.5 (-225)
- Florida Panthers -1.5 (+185)
Total
- Over 5.5 (-118)
- Under 5.5 (-102)
Head to DraftKings Sportsbook to bet on the Stanley Cup Final, where new users can sign up right now and secure a no-sweat first bet up to $1,500, along with a no-sweat Same Game Parlay for every game in the NBA Finals! All you have to do to get started with DraftKings is click this link.
Oilers vs Panthers Stanley Cup Final predictions
It feels like a long time coming for the Edmonton Oilers, as Stanley Cup expectations are always high. Of course, that all started with the Great One – Wayne Gretzky – and has continued thanks to the drafting of Connor McDavid in 2015.
However, the Oilers have failed to even make it to the Stanley Cup Final with McDavid, let alone win one. As they look to get over the hump this season, we’re going to get to witness a fantastic matchup of strengths. When it comes to Edmonton, their power play has been absolutely elite. Given the firepower of McDavid paired with Leon Draisaitl, that should come as no surprise. Each of the 2 recorded over 100 points during the regular season and led the Oilers’ power play to scoring a goal with the man advantage in 11 of their first 12 playoff games.
As for the Panthers, they boast a fantastic penalty kill unit in front of a goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky who has been standing on his head in these Stanley Cup playoffs. Florida’s penalty kill is running as efficiently as ever with an 88.2% success rate. They’ll also need center Aleksander Barkov to help keep McDavid in check, which is as tall a task as one could get in the NHL. So, now the question is, how is the 2024 Stanley Cup Final going to shake out?
Read our full Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers Game 1 predictions
Oilers vs Panthers Stanley Cup Final best bet: Edmonton Oilers win 4-2 (+475)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Well, with our experts locked in on the Oilers from the get-go, we’re not wavering from that pick. Admittedly, there were certainly times when that looked to be the smart call, especially after Edmonton began the season 5-12-1. Plenty has happened since then, including an NHL-record-tying 16-game winning streak, but let’s focus on this series.
As much as we touted the Panthers’ penalty kill unit, there is still one team that has been even better. You guessed it — the Oilers. Not only is Edmonton’s power play the best throughout this postseason at 37.3%, but their penalty kill is an unheard of 93.9%! With that type of balance, this looks to be McDavid and company finally getting the job done. Defense and goaltending has always held them back, but Stuart Skinner has been more than formidable, most recently holding the Dallas Stars to just 2 goals across the past 2 games and 2 periods.
Here’s how we see this one playing out. We expect these teams to split the first 2 games in Florida, followed by Edmonton taking each of their 2 home games, which are nearly 3,000 miles away from the Sunshine State. That brings us to 3-1 Edmonton. Then, Florida takes Game 5 at home, and ultimately, the Oilers win it on home ice in Game 6.
