Oilers vs Panthers Game 7 Preview & Odds
Oilers Hoping to Bring Canada’s First Cup Since 1993; Panthers Looking to Regroup & Deliver First Title in 31-Year History
The Stanley Cup will finally be awarded, and history will be made, when the Florida Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
The Oilers won their third straight game in multi-goal fashion, winning their third straight and forcing the do-or-die game in Florida. Edmonton became just the third team in Cup Final history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 and is hoping to become the fifth club in 210 tries to win when trailing by three games in a best-of-7 Stanley Cup playoff series.
- Things are looking bleak for the Panthers after dropping three in a row, but they will be back on home ice for Game 7, where they are 8-4 and have clinched two of their three postseason series. Florida is an ever-so-slight -115 moneyline favorite as the Game 7 odds opened shortly after Edmonton’s 5-1 win that forced Game 7.
Here is the Oilers vs Panthers Game 7 preview for the first winner-take-all Cup Final game in five years.
Oilers vs Panthers Game 7 Information
🏒Game: Edmonton Oilers (3-3) at Florida Panthers (3-3)
📍Location: Amerant Bank Arena
📅Day/Time: Monday, 8 p.m. ET
📺Television: ABC, ESPN+
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Expert Pick: Subscribe below to get our Premium Insights!Game 6 Recap
The Oilers again took control from the outset, scoring the game’s first goal and outshooting the Panthers 11-2 in a dominant first period. Though Florida kept Conn Smythe favorite Connor McDavid off the scoresheet for the first time since Game 1, Edmonton’s suddenly dominant depth took over with Warren Foegele and Adam Henrique scoring the first two goals before Zach Hyman struck for his playoff-leading 16th goal.
Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse each scored empty-net goals, and Stuart Skinner needed to stop just 20 shots to pick up his 14th win of the playoffs. Skinner also earned an assist on Nurse’s empty-netter, which came just 12 seconds after McLeod made it 4-1.
Aleksander Barkov scored Florida’s only goal, and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made just 16 saves.
Over Odds Are Tempting
It wouldn’t be an Oilers vs Panthers Game 7 preview if the super-tempting Over/Under odds weren’t addressed.
There’s only been six-plus goals in one of the previous 17 Stanley Cup Final Game 7s, the 1950 Cup Final between the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers. That also was the last Cup Final Game 7 to go to overtime.
- Still, the Over odds of about +110 are tantalizing to bettors, especially since this series has featured a litany of goals. The Over has hit in four straight games, including Game 5 in Florida, a 5-3 Edmonton win.
But given each team’s preferred structure and the inevitable nerves that go with playing Game 7 of the Cup Final, a low-scoring game seems a solid NHL pick.
Road-Ice Advantage
The last Stanley Cup champion to clinch with a Game 7 win on home ice was the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes, who capped a run of three straight champions to win the trophy on home ice with their 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Home teams have had the better fortune in Game 7s, claiming 12 of the prior 17 NHL Finals deciding games. But road teams have won three straight Cup Final Game 7s, with the most recent coming in 2019 when the St. Louis Blues claimed their first-ever Stanley Cup with a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins.
The Oilers have been excellent away from Rogers Place all postseason, boasting a 7-5 record on the road in the playoffs. They have already won one road Game 7, in the second round over the Vancouver Canucks.
THIS SERIES NEEDS 7⃣
The #Oilers defeat the Panthers 5-1 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to send the series back to Sunrise tied 3-3. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/RxILUvRC4i
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 22, 2024
Conn Smythe Watch
McDavid is almost a lock to win the playoff MVP award, since FanDuel Sportsbook lists him as a -4000 favorite to claim the Conn Smythe. Some sportsbooks have even taken the Conn Smythe odds off the board.
McDavid has 42 points so far in the playoffs and is five away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record for points in a single postseason. McDavid already set the record for most assists in a playoff year.
Plus, of the five previous times a losing player won the Conn Smythe, his team had reached Game 7 of the Cup Final in twice. That makes McDavid a shoo-in to win the MVP even if the Panthers ultimately hoist the Stanley Cup.
- Barkov is the only Panthers player with sub-+1000 odds for Conn Smythe. Sergei Bobrovsky, the favorite after winning the first three games, has cratered, with his pre-Game 7 odds sitting at +11000, per FanDuel.
Puck Line!
In 10 of the previous 17 Cup Final Game 7s, the winning team has covered the -1.5 spread.
- That means that although the puck line has extraordinarily long odds — about +215 for the Panthers to win by at least two goals and +230 for the Oilers to do so — it’s worth it to sprinkle a small amount on whichever team you think will win.
The puck line is 5-1 in this series, buoyed by an empty-netter in Game 5 and two in Game 6.
Prediction
The Panthers have had every opportunity to rise up and win the Cup over the past three games. It’s hard to see them getting off the deck to do so in Game 7.
Look for Edmonton to bring the Cup back to the City of Champions in Canada.
- Oilers 4, Panthers 2
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