Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers Pick and Prediction – June 18, 2024

EDMONTON OILERS VS. FLORIDA PANTHERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – June 18, 2024 — Was Game 4 a blip on the radar screen or the start of an unlikely comeback? There’s reason for both arguments, given just how badly Edmonton routed Florida in Game 4. Everything the Oilers hadn’t done in the first three games clicked in Game 4, leading to a dominant scoreline.

At the same time, it was only one game. The Oilers still trail 3-1 in the series, and there’s reason to think that Florida decided to save itself for Game 5. Once Edmonton pulled ahead in Game 4, the Panthers could have easily rationalized that they were heading back to South Florida no matter what. If the Oilers came with them for one more game, that wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

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Game 5 is different. The Panthers have the home crowd on their side, and they have every incentive to bury the Oilers right now. A loss means Florida has to head back to Alberta and face the Oilers, with Edmonton having new life in the series. There will be no rationalizing in this game; the Panthers will be a desperate team.

The same will be true of the Oilers, which might make this a higher-scoring game than the first three games were. With both teams matching each other in that department, both goaltenders could be overwhelmed here.

The Odds

Puck Drop

When: Tuesday, June 18 at 8 p.m. EST

Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Fla.

TV: ESPN

Public Bets: 84% on Florida

Public Money: 83% on Florida

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of June 18th, 2024

Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers In-Season Trends

Florida’s got a trend of its own to follow: when the Panthers are coming off a loss, they’re 3-1. The only loss came in overtime, and that was after four goals scored. Two of those three defeats were by ugly scorelines, as they lost by three to Tampa Bay and four to Boston. Both times, the Panthers responded with a 6-1 victory the next time out.

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Edmonton’s trend of three being death has held strong yet again. As long as Stuart Skinner can keep the other team from scoring more than once or twice, the Oilers have a chance. If a third goal finds the net, the trends say the Cup will be inscribed with the Panthers’ name.

Players to Watch

Sam Reinhart didn’t get much of anything done in Game 4, like the rest of the Panthers’ skaters. But he’s had a trend of alternating between scoring and not scoring in this series. In Game 1 and Game 3, he scored a combined three points, getting assists in each and a goal in Game 3. Florida’s biggest edge is its depth, and Reinhart needs to get back on track here to capitalize on that.

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Connor McDavid will again be crucial, as he is in every game the Oilers play. He finally found the net in Game 4 and came up huge with three assists. But in this game, he’ll see the defenders Florida wants him to see, as the Panthers get the all-important second line change.

The Pick

The Panthers didn’t play well at all in Game 4, but they were kind of due for a bad day at the office. Once things snowballed in the first period, there was little reason for the Panthers to assert themselves. Now they have the crowd and the home-ice advantage they’ve used so well in these playoffs. Florida is 8-3 at home in the postseason, and this looks like a ninth and series-ending victory.