This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets for April 13: Expert NHL Picks and Player Props for Hurricanes vs. Panthers
The Carolina Hurricanes (51-21-9) travel to meet the Florida Panthers (42-31-8) at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. on Thursday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN+.
The Hurricanes enter play Thursday night looking to cross the finish line of the regular season as the Metropolitan Division champs. Carolina has 111 points through 81 games, one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are scheduled to face the Washington Capitals, also at 7 p.m., in the nation's capital.
Should the Hurricanes win in regulation, it would be the division champs. If the Devils win in regulation or in overtime, and the Hurricanes win in overtime, or lose in regulation, then New Jersey would become division champ on the final day. And if the teams end up tied, New Jersey has more regulation wins overall, and that is the tiebreaker which would clinch the division.
The last time these teams faced each other on Dec. 30 in Raleigh, the Hurricanes skated away with a 4-0 victory. In the first meeting, it was the Panthers shutting out the Hurricanes on Nov. 9 in Sunrise. This is the rubber game, and the stakes couldn't be any higher.
Florida is currently in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 92 points, and if it wishes to avoid the high-powered Boston Bruins, it needs two points to vault the New York Islanders, who have 93 points with their regular-season schedule already completed.
Carolina has dropped three straight games on the road, and each of the losses were against the Nashville Predators, Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, all of which are eliminated from the postseason chase.
Florida is coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs last time out on home ice Monday. The Panthers are 6-0-1 across the past seven games overall, and they have been riding Alex Lyon.
Lyon (9-3-2, 2.80 GAA, .916 SV%, 1 SO) has been fire for the Panthers since Sergei Bobrovsky fell ill at the end of March. The veteran last played March 27 due to a non-COVID illness. He returned recently as the backup, but Lyon has been playing so well, so head coach Paul Maurice has stuck with Lyon as his "mane" goalie. OK, that was bad. Sorry.
Lyon is 4-0-1 with a 1.38 GAA and .958 SV% with a shutout in five April starts. The Hurricanes are expected to counter with Frederik Andersen (20-11-1, 2.43 GAA, .904 SV%, 1 SO). He has been equally solid in April despite a 1-2-0 record in three starts. The "Great Dane" has a 2.04 GAA and .921 SV%, but the Canes have given him just four goals of support in the three starts.
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NHL Money Line Bets for Hurricanes vs. Panthers
- Panthers ML (-113 at BetRivers)
The total has cashed in each of the first two regular-season meetings, with a pair of shutouts. With so much on the line, as Carolina is playing for a division title, and Florida is playing to change its seeding and avoid the Bruins, we could see another defensive slog.
The Under is 8-1 in the past nine games overall for the Hurricanes, while going 5-1 in the past six games on the road. The Under has hit in seven of the past eight games against the Eastern Conference, too, while hitting at a 6-1 clip against Atlantic Division teams.
For the Panthers, the Under is 4-1-4 in the past nine games overall, while going 3-1-2 in the past seven games against Metropolitan Division teams.
Look for a low-scoring affair in South Florida, with the game coming right down to the end, and I'd play this total quite hard, too.
NHL Totals Bets for Hurricanes vs. Panthers
- Under 6.5 (-105 at BetRivers)
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NHL Player Props for Hurricanes vs. Panthers
We are likely to have a low-scoring affair in South Florida, but that doesn't mean there still aren't some decent NHL player props to pursue!
Carolina has had some issues lighting the lamp lately, so no one is really "hot" offensively. But defenseman Brady Skjei has registered a goal with four points across the past five outings, and he is about the best of the lot. He is plus-money to simply notch at least one point, so he is well worth the risk.
- Brady Skjei Over 0.5 Points (+130 at BetMGM)
There are many more offensive choices from the Panthers side. Brandon Montour has been red-hot for the Cats down the stretch, especially on the power play. He has three goals with 12 points across the past seven outings, while going for six power-play points during the span. To simply notch a point, he is way overpriced, but to notch a point on the man advantage, he is a solid value.
- Brandon Montour Over 0.5 Power-Play Points (+130 at BetMGM)
