Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers Pick and Prediction – June 10, 2024

EDMONTON OILERS VS. FLORIDA PANTHERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – June 10, 2024 — A year ago, the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals was pure fun. And as it usually does, fun ran into focus and got run over by a Vegas team on a mission. The Golden Knights executed the Panthers in five games, and it wasn’t even close.

This Panthers team is nothing like last year’s. Now Florida is the focused side on a mission, and its maturity showed up in spades in Game 1. Faced with Edmonton’s powerful offense, the Panthers stuck to their system and controlled the game from beginning to end. Florida didn’t even play that well, and yet it emerged with a 3-0 win to take Game 1.

Related: Stanley Cup Playoff Betting Strategies

If that sounds familiar, it should. That was the exact blueprint that Florida used to beat the Rangers in the conference finals. The Panthers made sure New York couldn’t get on the front foot with a dominant performance in that first game, and only a couple of fortunate breaks for the Rangers made that series last as long as it did.

Edmonton has to figure out how to prevent a repeat. The Panthers once again sucked in their opponents and forced them to play the game their way. More importantly, the Panthers didn’t take any cheap penalties. Last year, Florida’s biggest weakness was that it would routinely take penalties after the whistle. The Panthers got that lesson the hard way last year, as Vegas hit Florida for six power play goals in that series.

These Panthers understand that cheap penalties are suicidal against Edmonton. When this team takes a penalty, it’s for a purpose to prevent a scoring opportunity. And if the Oilers can’t find space and can’t break through the Florida penalty kill, this series isn’t going to take long.

The Odds

Puck Drop

When: Monday, June 10 at 8 p.m. EST

Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Fla.

TV: ESPN

Public Bets: 84% on Florida

Public Money: 84% on Florida

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of June 10th, 2024

Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers In-Season Trends

The legend of Playoff Bob continued after Sergei Bobrovsky again came up big for Florida. The Panthers have now played to the under nine times in 10 games, and the lone exception came in Bobrovsky’s one off night. In the other nine games, he has not allowed more than two goals.

Related: Angell’s Sports Analysis – Where Might the PWHL Expand?

Edmonton gets all of the attention as a high-octane squad, but the Oilers have reinvented themselves in the postseason. Over the past 10 games, a strong trend has emerged. When they hold the opponent to two goals or less, they’ve won all six times. When the opponent finds the third goal, the Oilers are winless.

Players to Watch

The biggest worry for Edmonton was how quiet Matthew Tkachuk was in a victory. The Panthers’ captain didn’t find the scoresheet, even though both of his linemates did. If Tkachuk also gets in on the action, it’s hard to see a path back for the Oil.

Related: NBA, MLB Betting Scandals

Stuart Skinner had a fine game in Game 1, even as he allowed two goals. There’s just not much you can do about an opposing goalie standing on his head the way Bobrovsky did. Skinner has to keep up his performance, because the last thing the Oilers can afford is a Florida explosion.

The Pick

Edmonton has the greater collection of talent, but Florida has the better team. The Panthers trust their system completely and have the maturity to handle this stage. The Oilers haven’t been to this level before and aren’t well-versed in what it takes to win here.

This series is far from over, but Edmonton’s going to have to come up with something special if it’s going to make this a series. I don’t think the Oilers find it in South Florida.