The final stage of the Edmonton Oilers’ quest for the sixth championship in franchise history commences Saturday as they visit the Florida Panthers for Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton joined the NHL in 1979-80 and reached the Final in its fourth campaign before beginning a stretch of five titles in seven seasons. The Oilers made just one other appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since winning the trophy in 1990, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. Florida lost both of its two previous trips to the Final, as it was swept by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and defeated in five games by the Vegas Golden Knights last year. The Panthers outscored the Oilers 10-4 while winning both meetings during the regular season.
Opening faceoff at Amerant Bank Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET. Florida is a -139 favorite (risk $139 to win $100) in the latest Panthers vs. Oilers odds, while the over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Oilers vs. Panthers picks or Stanley Cup Final predictions, 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 -139, Edmonton +117
- Panthers vs. Oilers over/under: 5.5 goals
- Panthers vs. Oilers puck line: Florida -1.5 (+185)
- FLA: The Panthers are 11-3 in their past 14 games at home
- EDM: The Oilers are 12-2 in their last 14 games on the road against Florida
- Panthers vs. Oilers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Panthers
If the regular-season series is any indication, Florida soon should be the proud owner of the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history. The Panthers won both meetings with the Oilers in 2023-24, posting a 5-3 victory at home in November and a 5-1 triumph at Edmonton a month later. Finnish defenseman Niko Mikkola scored only three goals in 82 games this season, but two came in the home win over the Oilers, while Swedish center Kevin Stenlund notched three (goal, two assists) of his 15 points this campaign in that contest.
Carter Verhaeghe recorded a power-play goal and an assist in Florida’s first win against Edmonton before netting two tallies and setting up another in the second triumph. The 28-year-old center leads the Panthers with nine goals this postseason after registering seven in 21 games in last year’s playoffs. Center Sam Bennett, who had two goals and a pair of assists versus the Oilers in the regular season, amassed four tallies and two assists in the conference final and enters Saturday with a three-game goal-scoring streak. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back the Oilers
The key to Edmonton’s ride to the Stanley Cup Final has been its special teams. The Oilers were fourth in the NHL on the power play during the regular season (26.3%) but have kicked it into another gear in the playoffs, going 19-for-51 for a 37.3% success rate. The club scored with the man advantage in each of its nine postseason games, then went 1-for-16 over its next seven contests before converting four of its five opportunities in the final two games against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.
Not surprisingly, the Oilers have the top two power-play goal scorers in the postseason. Center Leon Draisaitl has tallied six times with the man advantage, while five of left wing Zach Hyman’s league-leading 14 goals have come on the power play. Meanwhile, Edmonton has successfully killed 93.9% of its penalties to also rank first in the playoffs. The Oilers were 14-for-14 versus Dallas and are 28-for-28 on the penalty kill since allowing a power-play goal in the second period of Game 3 in their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Panthers vs. Oilers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 5.6 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 Panthers vs. Oilers in Game 1 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 Saturday, all from the advanced model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times.
