Oilers vs. Panthers Prediction & Odds Game 7: Stanley Cup Final Expert Picks
We're in store for the first Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final since 2019 as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers meet on Monday at Amerant Bank Arena, and we have you covered with our Oilers-Panthers predictions based on the top NHL odds.
For the third time in NHL history, there will be a Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final after a team took a 3-0 series stranglehold. The last time it happened was in 1945 when the Toronto Maple Leafs staved off the Detroit Red Wings' comeback bid, winning Game 7 after losing the previous three.
The Florida Panthers look to repeat that scenario in Monday's Game 7, while the Edmonton Oilers envision becoming the second team to win four straight contests after coughing up the first three to lift the Stanley Cup. Betway has Game 7 as a pick'em. The game starts at 8 p.m. from Sunrise, Fla. (ABC).
The Panthers are still marginal Stanley Cup odds favorites after seeing their lead diminish in the last week. In the immediate aftermath of Game 4, the Panthers were -3333 favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup. Entering Game 7, their odds at Betway stand at -110.
In companion with our Oilers vs. Panthers player props, here is our Oilers vs. Panthers prediction and our NHL picks for Game 7.
Oilers vs. Panthers Game 7 prediction
Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.
Oilers ML ⭐⭐⭐⭐
There are compelling arguments on both sides of the coin entering the most exciting yet stress-and-nerve-inducing event in sports: Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. A week ago, the Oilers were dead and buried, given absolutely no chance by those outside of the organization to force Game 6, let alone a decisive one-off encounter, for the chance to win the Cup and fulfill their childhood and lifelong dreams.
The Oilers are the tenth team in 211 attempts to overturn a 0-3 series deficit to force Game 7. Despite the tidal wave of momentum the Oilers are riding, history hasn't always favored the team entering Game 7 on the back of three straight victories.
Just four of the previous nine teams to erase a 0-3 series deficit completed the comeback. The Los Angeles Kings, in the first round of the 2014 playoffs against the San Jose Sharks, were the last team to pull off the improbable feat. The Darryl Sutter-led Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup.
How the Oilers can complete the comeback and win the Stanley Cup
Despite that word of caution, I'm backing the Oilers to become the fifth team to finish the job. I haven't wavered in that assertion, backing the Oilers in our Stanley Cup Final Odds and Betting Preview. The Panthers' 3-0 series lead didn't accurately reflect the on-ice proceedings. The Oilers won the expected goals battle in four of six contests and, for the most part, outplayed the Panthers in two of their setbacks, Game 1 and Game 3.
The Panthers had Sergei Bobrovsky to thank for their Game 1 win. According to MoneyPuck.com, the Oilers were so dominant they had a 92% chance of winning the contest. Bobrovsky made 32 saves in the shutout, finishing with 5.7 goals saved above expected, a perfect representation of his otherworldly outing. That performance thrust Bobrovsky to the top of the Conn Smythe odds leaderboard, which he has since relinquished.
The Oilers were smoked in Game 2 but, besides a six-minute second-period implosion, rebounded well in Game 3. The Panthers' second-period outburst, thanks to consecutive individual Oilers' errors, sealed Edmonton's fate.
Game 7 records and what to expect
While various factors influenced the Oilers' revival, Connor McDavid and Connor Brown spearheaded it, dousing the diminishing ember with oil. McDavid scored eight points in two games, setting a Stanley Cup Final record, and Brown was pivotal in the Oilers' shorthanded goals that started the scoring in Games 4 and 5.
Stuart Skinner and Bobrovsky have switched roles, with the former appearing more calm, poised, and confident. Skinner is unshakable and perfect in Games Games 4 through 7 in the postseason, winning all 10. In those games, the Oilers outscored the opposition 41-13.
The Oilers are also getting production from every player, particularly up front. Warren Foegele, who scored the crucial opener in Game 6, is on a four-game point streak. Adam Henrique and Ryan McLeod notched a point in three of their last four, and Mattias Janmark has three points in his previous three games. Brown's exploits on the penalty kill, which has killed 46 of the last 47 penalties, have elicited the deserved praise he's receiving.
Meanwhile, the Panthers' offense has been tamer than a sedated house cat. Scoring five goals in the last 10 periods, Florida's forward contingent is trending the other way at the worst possible time. No Panthers' forward mustered a shot in the first half of Game 6.
Center Carter Verhaeghe hasn’t scored since Game 1, with his assist on Barkov’s Game 6 goal his only other point in this series. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart have one goal each.
The Panthers are 2-1 in Games 7s, while the Oilers are 8-4 and 1-1 in Game 7s of the Stanley Cup Final. The last Game 7 of the Cup Final was in 2019, when the St. Louis Blues defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 on the road. It was the road team's third straight Game 7 Stanley Cup Final win.
While anything can happen in 60 minutes of hockey between elite teams with negligible disparities, I'm backing the Oilers to complete the comeback, stamp an indelible mark on the NHL history books, and put the final touches on their fairy tale campaign.
Best odds: -110 via Betway
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Under 5.5 goals ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Backing Game 7 to have five or fewer goals makes more sense than having a strong, robust coffee first thing in the morning. Unders are 44-26-9 in Game 7s. And this isn't your run-of-the-mill Game 7 (not like there are any).
It's the most meaningful game many of these players will or can ever experience. The gravity of the situation won't be lost on the Panthers or Oilers, who will be unwavering in their commitment to making the safe defensive play and avoiding any chance of committing the mistake that costs their team the Stanley Cup.
Expect both netminders to be dialed in, too. For the Panthers to avoid the most ignominious defeat in Stanley Cup Final history since 1942, they must play a defensively sound contest. The Panthers are 10-3 in games with five or fewer goals and 5-5 in Overs, while the Under hit in seven of the Oilers' last eight in enemy rinks.
In addition, Game 6 was heading for an Under before the Panthers, in an ultimate show of desperation, yanked Bobrovsky with about 3:30 remaining in the third. The Oilers scored two empty-net goals, devastating Under backers and sending those who bet the Over into euphoria. The score in the latter stages of Game 7 should be too tight to repeat the same improbable scenario. The -140 odds imply a 58.33% probability; a $10 bet makes $7.14 if it hits.
Best odds: -140 via Betway
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Stanley Cup Final expected goals battle
| Game | Panthers | Oilers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.88 | 5.61 |
| 2 | 2.92 | 1.39 |
| 3 | 4.48 | 3.64 |
| 4 | 2.49 | 4.94 |
| 5 | 3.21 | 3.8 |
| 6 | 1.94 | 2.84 |
Oilers vs. Panthers Game 7 odds and info
- When: Monday, June 24
- Puck drop: 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena (Sunrise, Fla.)
- How to watch: ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet
- Favorite: Team Pick'em (-110 via Betway)
Oilers-Panthers predictions made Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.
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