The Panthers are favored to win the Stanley Cup over the Oilers after Edmonton punched its ticket to the finals Sunday night.
Florida is -130 at theScore Bet to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup (56.5% implied probability), while Edmonton sits at +110 (47.6% chance).
The Panthers decisively won both regular-season meetings between these two teams, but Stuart Skinner didn't start either game for the Oilers. Backup netminder Calvin Pickard allowed a combined nine goals.
The Oilers' second trip to Florida came on December 16, and they began their 16-game winning streak two games later. Despite that epic run, the Oilers are still the underdogs. The Panthers won the President's Trophy in 2021-22, made the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, and haven't needed a seventh game on this postseason run.
But the Panthers don't have three-time Hart Trophy and five-time Art Ross Trophy winner Connor McDavid.
Despite not playing for the favored side, McDavid sits atop the oddsboard for the Conn Smythe Trophy at +200. The next three players with the shortest odds are all Panthers: Aleksander Barkov (+400), Sergei Bobrovsky (+400), and Matthew Tkachuk (+600).
Conn Smythe odds
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | +200 |
| Aleksander Barkov | +400 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | +400 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | +600 |
| Leon Draisaitl | +650 |
| Evan Bouchard | +700 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | +2000 |
| Sam Reinhart | +4000 |
| Sam Bennett | +6000 |
| Gustav Forsling | +6000 |
| Stuart Skinner | +6000 |
| Zach Hyman | +7500 |
McDavid leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs in points, notably scoring a critical overtime winner in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final alongside a highlight-reel tally to open the scoring in Edmonton's series-clinching Game 6 win.
CONNOR M̶C̶D̶A̶V̶I̶D̶ MCNASTY, ARE YOU SERIOUS 😱🚨
— theScore (@theScore) June 3, 2024
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Bobrovsky's Conn Smythe odds underwent the biggest change in one round, going from +2500 before the Eastern Conference Final to +400, catapulting him to become his team's co-favorite.
Florida is 0-for-2 in the Stanley Cup Finals in franchise history. Meanwhile, the Oilers have only one final appearance since their run of five Stanley Cups in seven years ended in 1990 - three years before the Panthers' inaugural season.
Continue to check in with theScore for more Stanley Cup Final betting content leading up to Game 1 on Saturday, June 8.
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