The Oilers will face the Panthers in Game 2 on Monday night, looking to break the record-tying best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final series.
Edmonton remains the underdog going into Game 2, listed as +110 at BetMGM, while Florida is listed as -130 as of Monday.
In fact, the Oilers dominated the Panthers in Game 1, leading the high-risk opportunities by a huge margin of 18-6.
But those efforts were for naught, as the Oilers were shut out by Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 32 saves for a 3-0 victory.
Will these high-value shots lead to some goals that help the Oilers tie the score again?
Below, we break down our predictions and best bets for Monday’s Panthers vs. Oilers matchup.
Oilers vs Panthers predictions
(8 p.m. ET, ABC)
The Oilers are one of the NHL’s best teams offensively, so the 3-0 win was a bit of a surprise all things considered.
If Bobrovsky continues to play well in the remaining games of the Cup Final, it will be a tough challenge for opponents.
But there should be some optimism that the Oilers can even up the series to a 1-1 tie.
Star player Connor McDavid had an expected goals (xG) of 0.81 in Game 1, so the Panthers will have a hard time containing him going forward.
You may also remember that the Panthers were -140 favorites in Game 1, with the Oilers coming back at +120.
According to MoneyPac’s simulation calculator, the Oilers had a 91.9% chance of winning the game and were expected to score 5.61 goals in Game 1.
Of course, the game is played on ice, not on a keyboard.
But the data is certainly concerning for the Panthers.
Do you bet on the NHL?
And there are underdog bets being made that the Oilers will win with a goal from Edmonton’s star player.
choose: Oilers ML (+110, BetMGM) | Connor McDavid scores (+165, FanDuel)
