Panthers vs. Oilers Prediction on June 8, 2024

Match info

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 8 p.m. local time, the first match of the men’s ice hockey 2024 Stanley Cup final series (2023–24 NHL playoff finals) will take place on the ice of Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, USA, in which Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will collide. The prediction for the game was prepared by the editors of Bookmaker Expert. There’s no standout favorite in Game 1, as well as in the entire series, but the hosts were awarded a slight advantage in odds by every NHL bookmaker online.

Meeting statistics

The current form of the Panthers

For the second consecutive year, Florida made it to the Stanley Cup finals—something they had never done before. The Panthers made it into the playoff finals as an eight-placed in the Eastern Conference at the end of the last regular season, so their involvement in the pivotal playoff series in the 2022–23 may have been seen as a major uproar. However, this season, they started playing the championship campaign at a high level right away, finishing third in their conference.

In the playoffs, they dealt with Tampa Bay and Boston without any problems – 4-1 and 4-2 in the series, respectively. There were a few more problems in the Eastern Conference finals. After three games, they were losing to the Rangers in the series – 1-2, but then turned the tide of the duel, winning three matches in a row – 3-2, 3-2 and 2-1, reaching the Stanley Cup final.

The current form of the Oilers

Edmonton hadn’t been playing in the Stanley Cup finals since the 2005–06 season, when they lost to Carolina in a bitter battle – 3-4 in the series. Of course, none of those finalists are on the current roster of the Canadian team, and the core of the current squad has suffered setbacks for years on the way to the main playoff series.

The “blue-orange” were having a difficult time in the current regular season, to the point where they had to fire Jay Woodcroft. His replacement, Kris Knoblauch, led the team to fifth place in the West after inspiring them to reach new heights. The Oilers’ defensive resiliency and discipline have clearly improved, which is crucial going into the postseason. They were able to defeat Los Angeles 4-1 in the series, Vancouver 4-3, and Dallas 4-2 in the Western Conference finals thanks to this approach.

Key stats
Florida has won 11 of their last 14 home games.
In eight of the last nine matches involving Panthers, there was a bookmaker’s total under.
Florida has allowed fewer than three goals in 10 of their last 11 games.
In five of the Panthers’ last seven home games, at least one team scored fewer than two goals

Match analytics

In franchise history, the Panthers have never taken home the Stanley Cup. On the other hand, it has been 34 years since Edmonton last held the cherished trophy. Winning the championship series means more to each team than solely claiming the title; it would be a huge accomplishment they’ve long desired. It’s unlikely that we’ll face an open and goal-rich duel because both sides will undoubtedly be constrained by the mentioned realization. The Oilers and the Panthers have both demonstrated excellent defense in the regular season, and they’ll now close their “gates” even firmer. This suggests that a total of under 5.5 goals would be the best choice for betting. TOPsport offers the odds of 1.95 on such a market.

Results of the forecast

Successful forecast. Panthers vs. Oilers 3:0