| Commercial Content. 21+. Action Network is the official betting partner of the Chicago Tribune.
The Oilers have the Stanley Cup Final back on serve. Led by Connor McDavid, they have outscored the Panthers, 13-4, in the last two games and now have the opportunity to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0.
The betting market views Game 6 in Edmonton as essentially a coin flip, but the hockey world seems to believe the momentum is clearly with the Oilers after two legacy-raising performances from McDavid.
Here are three of our best bets for the game.
Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6 best bets
By Nick Martin
One of the more consistent trends in the NHL this postseason has been Games 6 and 7 averaging far lower totals than the rest of the series and lower than oddsmakers are expecting.
Unders in Games 6 and 7 are 10-1-1 in the playoffs, and the first-period under is 10-2, including six games that had no score after the first period.
Players generally look to ease into spots like this making conservative and safe plays, while attention to detail on defense is always at the forefront of the game plan.
Nick’s pick: First-period under 1.5 goals (-120 at BetMGM)
By Tony Satori
Not only has Connor McDavid lead Edmonton to consecutive victories, but he also scored three goals and added five assists.
This is one of the best individual runs in playoff history, and the Panthers are finding it difficult to slow him down. To make matters worse, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has started to regress. He is 1-2 over the past three games for Florida with a .838 SV% and 5.05 GAA.
If Florida is to go on and finally clinch the Stanley Cup Final in Game 6, it will be in a high-scoring game, which puts McDavid in position to play a big part for the Oilers.
Tony’s pick: Connor McDavid to score a goal (+135 at FanDuel)
By Michael Leboff
While momentum is with Edmonton, you do have to wonder if the blueprint we saw in Game 5 is sustainable. The Oilers got ahead on a shorthanded goal, added a couple of markers on the power play and were gifted an ugly one by Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Panthers have come a bit unglued over the past two games. Florida’s discipline has deserted it at perhaps the worst possible time and the Panthers will need to get a grip if they want to avoid the pressure-cooker of a Game 7 after blowing a 3-0 lead.
This sets up to be a tight game and I’d expect the first 20 minutes to be quite cagey, with both teams trying to avoid making a big mistake and go behind early. That puts plenty of value on the first period to end scoreless at +350.
Michael’s pick: First-period 0-0 tie (+350 at FanDuel)
