The Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers will face each other in the Stanley Cup again but the oddsmakers think the rematch comes as a toss-up and no real favorite. ESPN BET on Thursday opened the Panthers and Oilers each at -110 after the matchup was set. The price was on the move Thursday night, with Edmonton emerging as the favorite at some books, but the odds remained close.
Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Rematch
The Florida Panthers beat the Oilers in seven games last season to win their franchise’s first Stanley Cup. The Panthers rolled passed the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals in just five games. The Panthers began this season as the favorites to win the Stanley Cup and remained among the top tier of contenders all season.
The Edmonton Oilers also were among the top Stanley Cup favorites all season at sportsbooks and attracted plenty of support from the betting public. The Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals in six games to reach their second consecutive season going to the Finals.
How Do These Teams Match Up?
The Florida Panthers did beat the Oilers twice during the regular season and both games decided by one goal. At DraftKings, approximately 21% of all bets placed on the sportsbooks’ odds to win the Stanley Cup were on the Oilers.
The Panthers were the “road warriors” during the playoffs. In the Conference finals, Florida tied a franchise record for road wins in one playoff year (8) and set an NHL record for goals through 10 road games in one postseason (48). So, the finals beginning in Edmonton will not phase the Panthers at this point.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals will begin Wednesday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, where two of the best teams in the NHL will set to face each other in a rematch that will be no shy of epic.
