NHL Panthers vs Hurricanes Predictions, Odds, Picks & Best Bets

The NHL conference finals get started tonight as the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes do battle in Game 1, with each team hoping to get off to the perfect start in their quest to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. The Panthers have been the fairytale story so far, eliminating the Boston Bruins in the first round before causing another upset by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can Florida keep it rolling, or will Carolina prove their superiority? Let’s take a look at the odds, betting lines and our expert’s best bets for Panthers vs Hurricanes.

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Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes odds & betting lines

Odds for Panthers vs Hurricanes courtesy of BetMGM.

Money line odds: Panthers +120, Hurricanes -140
Total goals over/under: 6.0 goals
Puck line odds: Panthers +1.5 -225; Hurricanes -1.5 +180

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Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes expert picks

Panthers vs Hurricanes money line pick: Hurricanes ML (-140)

The Florida Panthers Travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. The Panthers have been able to get past the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs and have done so with some great goaltending, while the Hurricanes have reminded the entire league that they are a real threat to win the Stanley Cup despite not having Andrei Svechnikov or Max Pacioretty. The most important question is; can they secure a win in Game 1?

Frederik Andersen is 5-0-0 in the playoffs with a 1.80 GAA and a .931 SV%. Carolina is good at playing defense and limiting shots, but even when the opposing team has a chance to score, they can’t get much past Andersen. In their last series, New Jersey had some very talented players, but they couldn’t generate any sustained pressure in the offensive zone.

Florida may be the surprise of the playoffs and deserves a ton of credit to this point, but the Panthers are going up against a great penalty kill and a team with the 2nd-best goals against per Game record. Carolina is getting a decent amount of offensive from all 4 lines, which makes it hard for opposing teams to shut down any one line or player. Sergei Bobrovsky has been elite to this point, but he could falter at any time. For this first Game, I will back the Hurricanes.

Be sure to check out our full Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes predictions

Panthers vs Hurricanes over/under total goals pick: Under 6 (-120)

The total for this Game opened at 6.0 but could drop to 5.5 before puck drop. It should shock no one to see the total slip when you take into consideration just how good defensively both teams have been. Florida was able to contain Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and the rest of the Maple Leafs, while the Hurricanes held the Devils to 1 goal in 3 of their 5 Games. This is likely to be a defensive battle, but there’s still some risk on both sides.

Sergei Bobrovsky has been great in the playoffs, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.82 GAA and a .918 SV%, but he may be due for some negative regression and it could come in this series. The Panthers in the playoffs have been very successful at slowing down an elite top line and a very good secondary line. However, Carolina has 4 lines that can do some damage, so it’s not going to be a simple task of just shutting down the opposing team’s top players.

On the flip side, the Hurricanes are 4th in the playoffs in goals per game despite missing 2 elite players in Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty. I don’t expect them to slow down. Their power play could use some work, but they are still a very effective 5-on-5 team. There is some risk here, but I don’t expect both teams to just open up in Game 1 and play back-and-forth hockey. This game should be tight from start to finish, so we should be safe playing the under.

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