The Edmonton Oilers will host the Florida Panthers for Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday. This match is a continuation of last year’s Cup Final, which the Panthers triumphed in after seven thrilling games. The Panthers are coming off a five-game series win against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, while the Oilers advanced after defeating the Dallas Stars in a five-game series. The puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Edmonton is the -122 favorite for this matchup, implying a risk of $122 to earn $100, while Florida is positioned as the +102 underdog (risking $100 to win $102). The over/under for total goals is set at 6, with the Oilers at -1.5 at +191 on the puck line.
Before making any bets, check SportsLine’s predictive model’s predictions for the Oilers vs. Panthers game.
The SportsLine model has simulated every NHL game 10,000 times, culminating in a record of 80-56 on top-rated NHL puck-line and over/under betting picks, resulting in over $1,600 in returns for $100 bettors. Following the advice of SportsLine can lead to strong financial returns.
Best Bets for Oilers vs. Panthers:
- Panthers on the puck line +1.5 (-234)
- Over 6 goals (-130)
Panthers on the puck line +1.5 (-234): Florida is fresh off an extra day of rest, having achieved five consecutive playoff victories on the road. The Panthers have also claimed victory in their last three encounters with the Oilers since last year’s Cup series, winning each match by a single goal. The SportsLine model anticipates that the Panthers will cover the puck line in more than 70% of simulations.
Over 6 goals (-130): The Over has been successful in two of the last three playoff games for both teams, and during the regular season, each contest between these teams resulted in over six goals. Both Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner are conceding more than two goals on average per game, whereas Edmonton averages 4.06 goals over 16 playoff games and Florida averages 3.88 goals per night, setting the stage for a likely high-scoring encounter on Wednesday.
You can follow Experts on SportsLine like Matt Severance, a top NHL analyst with 158 wins and 85 losses on NHL picks this season, for insights on the best bets.
