NHL Picks: Stanley Cup Betting Picks for Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers, Game 2

NHL Picks: Stanley Cup Betting Picks for Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers, Game 2

This article is part of our NHL Picks series.

NHL Bets Tonight: Edmonton Oilers at 
Florida Panthers  
Game 2 NHL Best Bets and Player Props

The Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers meet in Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ABC or streamed on ESPN+.

Stay up to date on the Stanley Cup odds now that the finals are here, as well as the latest NHL odds for each game of the series. Going into Game 1, the Panthers are -130 favorites to hoist the Cup. The BetMGM bonus code now gets new players a first-bet offer worth up to $1,500, allowing them to get in on the action for the rest of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Oilers got off on the wrong foot in Game 1, falling 3-0 against Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers. It wasn't for lack of trying, and Edmonton was able to take 32 shots against the Florida goaltender. However, he was equal to the task every single time.

The vaunted Edmonton power play was unable to get anything generated, either, going 0-for-3, although the penalty kill of the Oilers also did their job by keeping the Panthers to 0-for-2 on the man advantage.

Still, the Oilers were outpaced in nearly every facet of the game. The Panthers managed just 18 total shots, as Stuart Skinner kicked aside 15 of the 17 shots on goal that he faced. However, Florida had a 34-to-23 advantage at the faceoff circle, good for a 59.6-percent success rate. The Panthers dished out 57 total hits, to just 32 for the Oilers. Florida also had 21 blocked shots, while Edmonton managed just 15. It was a complete team effort.

The big scorers for the Panthers were held mostly in check. While Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring in the first period with an even-strength goal, Matthew Tkachuk went without a goal. Sam Reinhart also was held off the goal-scoring sheet, although he did contribute an assist. In fact, Tkachuk has gone without a goal in six straight games, and 11 of the past 12 playoff games, yet here Florida is three wins away from its first Stanley Cup.

Evan Rodrigues etched his name into Panthers postseason lore with a goal, while Eetu Luostarinen put a bow on the scoring with an empty-net goal. But those aren't exactly the names you'd expect, which speaks of the depth of this Panthers side.

For the Oilers, Connor McDavid took six shots on goal (SOG) to lead the team, but he was a minus-2 with just one blocked shot and three wins in nine attempts at the faceoff dot, not his best effort. Leon Draisaitl was also blanked, posting four SOG, while posting a blocked shot, three hits and 11 wins in 23 faceoff attempts (47.8 percent). Zach Hyman was scoreless with a minus-2, and Evander Kane went without even a shot on goal for the second straight outing.

One of the most concerning things of these playoffs has been the play of Darnell Nurse in front of Skinner. The 29-year-old rearguard has had a dreadful postseason, posting no goals, three assists and a minus-15 rating in 19 games. He needs to be markedly better, and it's uncertain if he can pull out of his nosedive.

The Panthers look to put it on the Oilers in Game 2, and send this series to the Great White North with Florida up, 2-0, just two wins away from a title. Look for that to happen.

NHL Moneyline Bets for Oilers at Panthers

  • Panthers ML (-130 at DraftKings)

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Bobrovsky (13-5-0, 2.08 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO) posted his second shutout of the postseason, and he has now conceded two or fewer goals in 11 of his previous 12 contests. He and the Panthers have not only won four straight playoff games, but the Under has cashed in each of those outings since an Over result in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers.

Skinner (11-6-0, 2.47 GAA, .897 SV%, 1 SO) was not tasked with much, and he allowed only two goals. He wasn't the biggest problem for Edmonton, but he needs to be even better if the Oilers are to gain a series split.

Skinner has allowed just six goals in the past four playoff games, winning three of those outings, and the Under has hit in three in a row, while going 8-2-1 in the previous 11 contests.

Going low on the total is the way to go until these high-octane power plays start to show up again.

NHL Totals Bets for Edmonton Oilers at Florida Panthers

  • Under 5.5 (-110 at Caesars)

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NHL Player Props for Edmonton Oilers at Florida Panthers

Heading into Game 2, we're gonna roll the dice on a couple of offensive player props, despite the fact we're also calling for an Under result. That seems like cheering against yourself, but really, we can squeeze both in and still have a winning evening.

For the Oilers, it's hard to believe Zach Hyman is this cheap. OK, I guess there is a little chalk to eat, but he simply needs to grab one goal or one assist to make this happen. Edmonton isn't getting shut out again, and if the Oilers do score, Hyman is usually front and center. The 32-year-old Torontonian had 54 goals and 77 points in the regular season, and he had 14 goals and 18 points in 19 postseason performances. He was averaging a point-per-game until getting blanked in Game 1.

Looking to the home side, it's worth looking to two players to get untracked in the goal-scoring department. Both Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk went without goals in Game 1, and Tkachuk has done a lot of the little things lately, but he hasn't lit the lamp in six straight, and 11 of the past 12. He seems to score when it matters most. Reinhart is likely to strike on the power play, and Florida's man advantage is due after going 0-for-2 in the series opener. Back both as AGS plays.

Playing the "ginormous" Same-Game Parlay (below) means if you risk $10, you can win $910.30. It's worth a roll of the dice, for sure.

BONUS – Ginormous Same-Game Parlay +9103 (at FanDuel)

BONUS – More Conservative (But Still Good!) Same-Game Parlay +864 (at FanDuel)

  • Panthers ML (-130)
  • Under 5.5 Goals (-112)
  • Zach Hyman To Record 1+ Points (-162)

Let's get it!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Dobish
Hockey writer, unskilled fourth liner, fantasy and gambling industry veteran, handicapper, FSWA's 2011 fantasy hockey writer of the year nominee and four-time FSWA award winner. Twitter: @danieledobish
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