NHL GIFT & Anytime Goal Props: Oilers Panthers (Thursday)
Betting the GIFT (Goal In First Ten) is simple. Pick whether or not a game will have a goal scored in the first 10 minutes of play (00:00-09:59). It's that easy and all you have to do is root for anyone to score and you win. It is an area of hockey betting with a high success rate league-wide, with over 84% of the league cashing at 50% or better during the regular season. Each game in this Finals has cashed the GIFT so there is plenty of meat left on the bone!
Anytime Goal Scorer props are even easier. Pick a player to score and if they light the lamp at any point, you win!
My published picks are 62-49 (.559) since Nov. 23, including a stellar 27-11 (.711) record cashing GIFTs and a 35-39 (.473) record on ATGs. Let’s roll!
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Thursday’s Best GIFT & Anytime Goal Scorer Prop Bets
2024-25 Record: 100-102-1 | GIFT Record: 43-25 | ATG Record: 57-79-1 | Last: 1-2 | Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Edmonton Oilers at Florida Panthers
The Oilers are expected to send out Stuart Skinner to guard the crease. The 26-year-old Edmonton native comes in at 7-6 this postseason while carrying a 2.84 GAA and .894 Save% after a regular season where he finished 26-18-4 with a 2.81 GAA and an .896 Save%. Edmonton is 48-34 (.585) cashing the GIFT this season, including a 24-17 record (.585) away from Rogers Place. The Oil have covered the GIFT in six of their last 10 games, including three straight on the road.
On the opposite end of the ice, Florida will roll out Robert Bobrovsky to defend the net. The 36-year-old Soviet ex-pat is 14-6 this postseason, with a 2.16 GAA and .916 Save% after a regular season where he went 33-19-2 with a 2.44 GAA and a .906 Save%. The Panthers are 49-33 (.598) cashing the GIFT this season with a 23-18 record (.561) on the friendly Amerant Bank Arena ice. The Cats have owned the GIFT in five of their last seven games including four straight at home.
These teams’ combined 97-67 record (.591) cashing the GIFT this regular season, 24-14 (.632) postseason strike rate including a 47-29 (.618) in these home/road conditions should mean the lamp is lit early and often up in South Beach!
Pick: Goal In First Ten (-160)
Anytime/First Goal Scorer Picks
Sam Bennett (+185/+1300) – 5G in L4, 8G in L8, 12G in L16, 14 G this postseason, 4G in this series, 2 First Goals this postseason
Carter Verhaeghe (+215/+1600) – 2G in L4, 5G in L13, 7G in L17, 17 G at home (incl. 4 postseason), 2 First Goals this postseason incl. Game 4 vs. TOR
ATG Parlay Odds: +700
Luke Monaldo is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @MoKnowsSports and Discord @alydar1227 AKA The GIFTing Crooner. For more from Luke, check out his archive.