The Florida Panthers can punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final with a Game 4 win over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. Sportsbook review betting analyst Neil Parker shares his insights and top pick based on the latest NHL odds from our best sports betting apps.
It's all on the line for the Hurricanes after Panthers starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky posted a 32-save shutout in Game 3 and put them on the brink of elimination.
Florida could be without No. 1 center and Conn Smythe Trophy candidate Aleksander Barkov. He's being evaluated after leaving Monday's game with an undisclosed injury.
Here is our best Hurricanes vs. Panthers pick for Game 4 (odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Hurricanes vs. Panthers pick
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Add a splash of inept shooting to a dash of elite goaltending and you arrive at Carolina scoring a single goal across 222:40 of five-on-five ice time through the first three games of the Western Conference Final.
Make no mistake, goaltending has been the No. 1 reason why goals have been so difficult to come by. Bobrovsky deserves to be the Conn Smythe Trophy favorite after turning away 132 of 135 shots in the series.
Still, I'm anticipating the pendulum to swing in the opposite direction with a number of Hurricanes' five-on-five metrics in line with their regular-season and playoff numbers entering the East Final.
| Five-on-five statistics | Goals per 60 minutes | Team shooting percentage | Expected goals per 60 minutes | High-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | 2.65 | 7.76% | 3.17 | 14.73 |
| Rounds 1 and 2 | 2.93 | 8.94% | 2.9 | 13.11 |
| Round 3 | 0.27 | 0.88% | 2.95 | 13.74 |
Finally, Carolina has driven possession with a 54.7 Corsi For percentage and generated 56.9% of the expected goals at five-on-five when adjusted for score and venue. Despite the Hurricanes trailing 0-3, this has been a competitive series, and I'm expecting the Carolina offense to finally break out and solve Bobrovsky on Wednesday.
I'll be even more interested in the 'Canes if Barkov is unable to suit up for the Cats.
Hurricanes vs. Panthers best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricanes Over 2.5 goals | Hurricanes Over 2.5 goals | Hurricanes Over 2.5 goals | Hurricanes Over 2.5 goals | Hurricanes Over 2.5 goals |
| N/A | -134 | -133 ?? | -135 ?? | N/A |
Prospective bettors could wait to see the number DraftKings releases for this prop. I would be surprised if it wasn't either in line or better than what is currently available across our best sports betting sites.
Additionally, given the low-scoring results through the first three games of the series, there could be action on the Under to improve the odds for the Hurricanes Over 2.5 goals total.
I grade it as a three-star bet between -130 and -135.
Hurricanes vs. Panthers odds
Check out our Stanley Cup odds and Conn Smythe Trophy odds.
Hurricanes vs. Panthers odds analysis
| Side | DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricanes moneyline | +100 ?? | -108 ?? | -105 | -105 | -105 |
| Panthers moneyline | -120 ?? | -111 ?? | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Hurricanes +1.5 | -250 ?? | -275 | -278 | -278 | -280 ?? |
| Panthers -1.5 | +210 ?? | +220 | +222 | +220 | +225 ?? |
There is an industry-best and -worst price available for each side. DraftKings has the best odds available for both Carolina sides, while also offering the lowest numbers for Florida. FanDuel has the best number for the Panthers on the moneyline, and PointsBet has the best puck line odds for the Cats.
| Total | DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over | 5.5 (+105) | 5.5 (+102) | 5.5 (+105) | 5.5 (+100) ?? | 5.5 (+105) |
| Under | 5.5 (-125) | 5.5 (-120) ?? | 5.5 (-125) | 5.5 (-130) ?? | 5.5 (-125) |
Bettors looking to wager on the total will want to steer clear of Caesars. The sportsbook has a 5.6% hold, which is notably higher than the 4% hold through FanDuel. Additionally, FanDuel is hanging the best odds for the Under in Game 4 between the Hurricanes and Panthers.
Hurricanes vs. Panthers game info
- Date: Wednesday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET
- TV: TNT, Sportsnet
- Location: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL
Hurricanes-Panthers pick made 5/23/23 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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