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Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Series Predictions with Betting Odds

by Matt Zitt - 5/17/2023

Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes series predictions Matthew Tkachuk

Not many people would have predicted the Hurricanes vs. Panthers, with the winner moving on to play for the Stanley Cup. But here we are in May and both teams have entered the Eastern Conference Finals. Both teams were among the favorites in the preseason to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup. However, as the season wound down, both teams were basically counted out.

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The Hurricanes were elite all year, but their biggest weakness was that they struggled to score consistently. The issue seemed to get worse with injuries to Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty. Carolina looked to be out of gas and showed glimpses they did not have enough to navigate their way through the NHL playoffs. Entering postseason play, sportsbooks had the Canes from anywhere from 10-1 to 15-1 to win it all. The Canes’ have defied analysts’ predictions and looked great against the New Jersey Devils, averaging 4.8 goals per game while winning the series 4-1. The Hurricanes are now favored to win the Stanley Cup at +220 odds.

Florida, meanwhile, was not given any chance to make any noise whatsoever in the playoffs. The Panthers needed every bit of their 82-game schedule to get into the tournament, and their prize was a first-round matchup with the record-setting Boston Bruins. Florida dug itself in an early hole, down 3-1 in the series, but was able to dig deep and rally to pull off the upset and advance to the next round. A second-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs did not look easy on paper, but the Panthers took care of business winning the series 4-1. Oddsmakers have them as the least favorite to win Lord Stanley at +330 odds.

All of this calculates to the Hurricanes and Panthers meeting up in this best-of-seven to see who goes to the Stanley Cup. Carolina is the favorite to win the series at -135 odds, and bettors can snag the Panthers at +115 odds. These odds seem pretty fair, and there is definitely some value taking the Panthers, who have knocked out the two best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Series Prediction:

No team in the NHL plays with the kind of commitment to an aggressive, man-to-man system like the Hurricanes execute with. The majority of teams in any sport make adjustments as the series goes on, while Carolina sticks to the bit and grind play and forces the opponents to figure them out. It’s a difficult puzzle to solve. Ask the Rangers and Devils.

I believe it will take the Panthers some time to adjust to Carolina’s style of play, especially since it is a completely different style they witnessed from the Maple Leafs’ skill-over-everything attitude. On the scorecard, Carolina’s lineup may not look intimidating. However, when you watch them play, you can tell every player on the roster knows his role. That kind of chemistry and cohesion can be a dangerous thing.

I do think the Panthers will drag this series out and make it a competitive tilt. The Panthers are a very fast, clinical offense. They averaged 5.25 goals per game in their wins over the Bruins. Then they showed in the net with Sergei Bobrovsky that they can stop offenses allowing two goals per game vs. the Leafs.

This should be another great series, and I think the Hurricanes style of play benefits them against this Panthers team. Carolina has been a powerhouse at home this season and throughout the playoffs, and I do not expect that to change. I will be backing the home team to win this series in six games.

Pick: Hurricanes in six games

Best Bets:

The Hurricanes are -135 favorites to advance to the Stanley Cup, while the Panthers come in at +115 odds. It may be tempting to back the underdogs after upsetting the Bruins and Leafs, but I am all over the Hurricanes in this spot. I will be targeting the Canes to win this series. The other bets to target will be the total amount of games for the series and exact results.

I expect the Canes to dominate at home and come away with at least two victories out of Games 1, 2, and 5 on home ice. The Panthers should be able to catch up and steal a game at home and one on the road as I expect this series to go to a Game 6 where the Hurricanes finish off Florida. Grab the +200 odds for the series to end in 6 games.

Pick: Hurricanes to win series -135

Pick: Series to end in 6 games +200

Pick: Hurricanes to win series 4-2 +500

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