The Edmonton Oilers return home after digging themselves a hole deep enough to build a subway station as we dive into our Panthers vs. Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 3 prediction based on the top NHL odds.
While not officially a must-win scenario, the Edmonton Oilers will have a better chance of winning Euro 2024 than the Stanley Cup Final if they drop Game 3 in Edmonton. The Florida Panthers dispatched the Oilers with a 4-1 win in Game 2 and take their 2-0 series lead north of the border for Game 3, which starts at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday (ABC).
The Oilers are the consensus favorites at Betway and across our best sports betting sites for Game 3, while the Panthers are, according to the Stanley Cup odds, massive favorites to hoist their first Holy Grail.
Our NHL picks for Game 3 discuss why the Oilers are primed and ready for a bounce-back performa nce.
Panthers vs. Oilers Game 3 prediction
Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.
First and foremost, I must get something off my chest. I don't like that the Oilers are -135 favorites despite being down 0-2 in the Stanley Cup Final. While home-ice advantage carries a lot of weight, it shouldn't be as hefty as a jumbo jet.
Having gotten that bugbear off my chest, I will back the Oilers anyway. Why? Well, they're at home; they're as desperate as a gaggle of geese are to get south when winter hits; and because they're too good to lose three straight playoff games, even with Florida executing at a nearly unmatchable level.
The Oilers haven't lost three consecutive playoff encounters since being swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2021-22 Western Conference Final. A change of s cenery, like the geese venturing south, should help the Oilers reset. And what better place to reset than at Rogers Place, where they had the second-best regular-season home record (tied with the New York Rangers)?
After starting the postseason with a 2-2 record, the Oilers have won four of the last five and two in a row in the friendly, raucous confines of Rogers Place.
The Panthers have won six of eight on the road in the postseason, making the task even more challenging for Kris Knoblauch and Co. However, Knoblauch should be able to take advantage of having the last change, helping separate Connor McDavid from his unrelenting and effective shadow, Aleksander Barkov.
That's if Barkov can shake off the Game 2 injury he suffered in time to suit up for Thursday's pivotal encounter. If Barkov does play, McDavid will hope that the last change will be as effective as a perfectly executed exorcism, detaching th e Oilers' captain from his possessor.
Best odds: -135 via Betway
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Game 3 key stats
| Statistic (per game) | Oilers at home | Oilers on the road |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 4.00 | 2.55 |
| McDavid points | 2.11 | 1.88 |
| Bouchard points | 2.00 | 0.91 |
| Hyman points | 1.11 | 0.73 |
| Power-play success rate | 38.5% | 28.1% |
The Oilers are 6-3 at home and 6-5 on the road during the 2024 playoffs. However, their home and away records don't do the discrepancy justice. Game 6 against the Dallas Stars aside, the Oilers are more free-flowing and enterprising on home ice. McDavid and Bouchard are notably more productive, and so are most of the Oilers' forwards.
While overturning the 0-2 series deficit could be a mountain too steep, I feel the Oilers will again prove why they're so formidable on home ice. Expect Edmonton's best performance of the Stanley Cup Final thus far, which should be enough to secure their first win on this stage since 2006.
Panthers vs. Oilers Game 3 odds
Panthers vs. Oilers Game 3 info
- When: Thursday, June 13
- Puck drop: 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alberta)
- How to watch: ABC, Sportsnet
Oilers-Panthers predictions made Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET.
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