NHL Stanley Cup Finals Best Bets & Picks: Game 1 (Golden Knights vs. Panthers)
The Stanley Cup Finals begin tonight, and we have to wonder if another upset is near. The Panthers' magical run has them just four wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup. They already have defeated the top seeds in their conference, and now we see if they can beat the best in the west.
Saturday's Best NHL Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Florida Panthers (+108) at Vegas Golden Knights (-130)| O/U 5.5 (-118/-104)
The offseason addition of Matthew Tkachuk has proven to be a big difference, as he led the team in points during the regular season. He continues that run through playoffs leading the team in points, including three game-winning goals in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Sergei Bobrovsky has also played a large part in Florida's success. He has been on fire over the last two rounds, with 2.21 GAA and 19.7 goals saved above expected.
Borbrosky will have another tough challenge facing the Golden Knights and their 51.65 expected goal percentage in the playoffs. All of their top skaters have excelled in the playoffs, with Jack Eichel having 12 assists, William Karlsson with ten goals, Jonathan Marchessault with nine, and seven players having double-digit points.
Vegas has also been getting some great goaltending from Adin Hill, who took over for Laurent Brossoit after an injury. Hill has a 2.02 GAA and a .937 save percentage on shots on goal.
The difference you see is in each team's blue line. Vegas' defense has been tremendous and leads the playoffs in blocked shots, percentage of takeaways in the defensive zone, and high-danger shots allowed. Florida has been all Bobrovsky, as the defense has been good but not great.
The Golden Knights have a ton of offensive options, along with Hill's stellar, and this will help them edge out Florida in Game 1.
Pick: Golden Knights Moneyline (-130)
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