Now, we are halfway through the playoffs. Yes, two rounds are still to go as the stakes increase and the action intensifies. Bettors and fans enjoyed a day to rest. We do not rest here. Let us return to work and look at the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes.
This is the only game tonight on the NHL Playoff calendar as Edmonton and Dallas start Wednesday night.
Rest, No Rest, And Rust?
The Carolina Panthers have not played in five days. Florida’s last game was on Sunday, which begs the question: Would a team rest or not rest? Every team is different. The Panthers seem to thrive no matter the situation. Carolina is a bit more uncertain. Fortunately, they could play teams that did not challenge them from an attacking standpoint.
Florida is a different beast for Carolina. The Hurricanes remember two years ago and how it always seemed they were one goal away. Four games were all decided by one goal, and two went into overtime. That included an epic four-overtime thriller that took a lot of the fight out of the Hurricanes.
Here is the difficulty when two teams play a similar or close style to each other. Florida and Carolina have Finnish captains (Aleksander Barkov and Sebastian Aho). Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen are both on the other side of 35, but have shown an ability to be resilient. Bobrovsky has won a Stanley Cup after all.
The numbers are different this time around. Florida and Carolina are closer to even, with the Panthers a very slight -125 favorite.
The reality is that Florida could dominate Toronto at will. It came down to finishing. Again, the Panthers tend to finish better than the Hurricanes. Florida’s depth could become a real factor in this series, as it did against Toronto in Games 5 and 7.
Series Bets: Florida Panthers in six games (+400) via DraftKings
Series Goes Six Games (+200) via the latest DraftKings promo code offer for $300 in bonus bets
Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Game 1 Predictions
Here we go again with all that rest and rust nonsense. Scratch that! The two teams do not like each other. The goals are similar. Expect a lot of hitting, forechecking, and naturally tight play. Imagine Florida and Tampa Bay with even more intensity. Game 1 will not start, but erupt!
As much as the home win for Carolina is likely, people keep underestimating Florida. All Florida did was go into Toronto and rout the Maple Leafs twice. The Game 7 thrashing was 7-1, but what is goaltender interference anyway? Florida is around a +105 underdog in Game 1. Watch how the moneyline and spreads shift early.
Also, Florida and Carolina play close-quarters hockey, which needs to be repeated repeatedly for emphasis. It is hard, but not impossible, to see games with large scoring margins, so expecting a closer contest is not unreasonable. Florida also has an advantage in these one-goal games.
Finally, that +320 number may be the highest anyone sees after Game 1.
Best Bet: Florida and Carolina 60-minute draw (+320 via FanDuel).
The First Salvos From Florida And Carolina
The weirdest thing about predictions that often ring true is this. A bettor can be right and completely wrong all at the same time. For example, Carolina beat Washington in five games, but the shot totals were so low. The expectation was to see a little more output in at least a few contests.
Which player opens the scoring for Game 1 of this series? There are always the usual suspects and some unusual ones. Yes, counting out Matthew Tkachuk is okay here. Tkachuk has not scored since Game 3 of the Tampa Bay series and has four games this playoff without a shot. For someone who is not 100%, his hits are coming up.
There is always Sam Reinhart or Sam Bennett, but if there were one player to consider, it may be Evan Rodrigues. Rodrigues looked excellent after returning from injury in the Toronto series. While he has not scored in 10 games these playoffs, he had seven goals last postseason.
Final Bet: Evan Rodrigues opening goal scorer (+3000 via BetMGM).
