The Florida Panthers won their first overtime game of the Eastern Conference Final, tying the series against the New York Rangers at 2-2 ahead of Game 5, and we have you covered with our Panthers-Rangers predictions and expert picks based on the best NHL odds.
The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers have gone to overtime in three straight contests. The Panthers won their first in the extra frame on Tuesday, setting up a best-of-three to decide which team represents the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers are the consensus favorites to win at Madison Square Garden on Thursday thanks to their 3-2 Game 4 victory and an otherwise dominant display.
The puck is set to drop at 8 p.m. ET. Game 4's result had an expected impact on the Stanley Cup odds, with the Panthers leapfrogging the Rangers to become the second-biggest favorites.
Here are our best Panthers vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks (odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Panthers vs. Rangers Game 5 expert picks
- Carter Verhaeghe Over 3.5 shots (+125 via FanDuel) ????
- Under 5.5 goals (-130 via DraftKings) ????
- Mika Zibanejad Over 2.5 shots (-106 via FanDuel) ????
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Panthers vs. Rangers predictions for Thursday
Let's start with a plus-money proposition to perk the palate. Carter Verhaeghe is heating up faster than a seat belt buckle on a summer day in Florida. He was as omnipresent as irrepressible in Games 3 and 4, firing 11 shots and notching three points. The 28-year-old has six points in four games against the Rangers, firing at least four shots on goal in three of four contests.
While Verhaeghe has benefitted from playing on the first line with Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov, he also excels on the power play.
The Panthers scored four goals on 10 power-play opportunities in Games 3 and 4, creating countless more chances. At +125, FanDuel's odds imply a probability of 44.44%, and a $10 bet pays a profit of $12.50 if it hits.
Best odds: +125 via FanDuel
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The only game of the series thus far to buck the Under trend was Sunday's Game 3 obscure afternoon contest. If you look up outlier in an online dictionary, footage from Game 3 might pop up.
Game 5 should more closely mirror the proceedings from the other three contests, most notably Game 4. Both teams are led by elite goaltending, although Sergei Bobrovsky's top-line stats are notably inferior to Igor Shesterkin's.
The victor of Game 5 of a series tied at 2-2 advances more than 75% of the time. With so much on the line, you can expect another dogged defensive tussle, with more bodies flying around to block shots than fish jumping out of the water during a salmon run.
The Under has hit in three consecutive games at Madison Square Garden and in six of the previous seven Panthers' contests. The -130 odds at DraftKings pay a profit of $7.69 on a winning $10 bet and imply a 56.52 % probability.
Best odds: -130 via DraftKings
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Mika Zibanejad's Game 4 performance probably incited a cocktail of feelings from Rangers fans, ranging from love and adornment to beer-throwing anger. He is finally firing the puck more, demonstrated by his six shots during Tuesday's loss. After a six-game stretch with two shots or fewer, Zibanejad has hit the Over in two straight.
Zibanejad had a golden opportunity to put the Rangers ahead late third period but missed the net from a close-range wrister after receiving a perfect two-on-one saucer pass. In overtime, Zibanejad compounded the misery by making a sloppy pass in the offensive zone, which led to Blake Wheeler's hooking penalty. We all know what happened on the ensuing power play.
Suffice it to say, Zibanejad has a lot to make up for in Game 5 and should be highly motivated to do exactly that. With an implied probability of 51.46%, the -106 odds will pay a profit of $9.43.  ;
Best odds: -106 via FanDuel
Panthers vs. Rangers Game 5 info & odds
- When: Thursday, May 30
- Puck drop: 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
- How to watch: ESPN, Sportsnet
- Favorite: Panthers (-115 via BetMGM)
Panthers-Rangers predictions made Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET.
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