NHL Odds & Picks: Saturday (Hurricanes vs. Panthers)
Down 2-0 in the series, the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Florida Panthers in a pivotal Game 3 tonight. We'll break down the matchup and share our best NHL bet.
Saturday's NHL Best Bets & Picks: Hurricanes vs. Panthers
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Carolina Hurricanes (+130) at Florida Panthers (-155) | O/U 5.5 (+105/-125)
All the momentum is in the Panthers’ favor as this series shifts to South Beach. Carolina had been one of the best teams on their home ice throughout the season, but they looked lost in the first two games of this series as Florida outscored them 10-2, including a shutout in Game 2. Carolina has struggled on the road this season, but they need to win at least one for this to go back to Raleigh. We'll break down the game\ and give out the best bet.
Offensive chances were at a minimum overall in Game 2, with a total of 38 shots on goal, but the quality of the shot opportunities favored the Panthers. Florida won the high danger Corsi chances 10-6 because they were patient with the puck and allowed shots to open up while Carolina was relying more on the dump off and using their speed to try and set up in their offensive zone. Florida has also been able to succeed against one of the better penalty kill units, going 4-for-5 in the first two games.
It has been tough for the Hurricanes to establish and create quality opportunities thanks to the aggressiveness of the Panthers’ defense. Florida has been able to hit, forecheck, and clear the puck, and while Carolina has controlled the puck possession in this series, Florida has been able to defend their own zone efficiently.
The Panthers have changed up their offense after going down 0-2 to Toronto. They are going with fewer line combinations, and it's been working. In this game, they were able to expand it more and allow their deeper lines more time on ice due to the lopsided score, but early on, they are mainly rotating three lines, and it's helping them build chemistry.
The Hurricanes' backs are against the wall, and it will be tough because Florida has been able to contain their best aspect, and that's not allowing their speed to get scoring opportunities, and Florida has been able to match their physicality. These two teams play a similar style, but Florida does it better, and Carolina could suffer their 15th consecutive loss in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Pick: Panthers Moneyline (-155)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Saturday: