NHL: Panthers vs Hurricanes Betting Preview
Thursday’s NHL schedule kicks off with a massive Eastern Conference showdown
As it stands today, we think the Florida Panthers (37-15-4, 79 points) and the Carolina Hurricanes (33-17-5, 71 points) are the best the Eastern Conference has to offer. That means this match-up gives the winner a mental leg up if they meet in the postseason.
The Panthers lead the Boston Bruins by one point in the Atlantic Division, while the Hurricanes are six points in back of the New York Rangers for the lead in the Metro heading into Wednesday’s action.
NHL betting lines have made both teams -110 with a total of 6 (over -120). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT from the PNC Arena and can be seen on Bally’s Sports Florida. Let’s start our Panthers vs Hurricanes betting preview, starting with the Cats.
Panthers vs Hurricanes 
Location: PNC Arena
Day/Time: Streaming: Bally’s Sports Florida
Panthers Slide Back Into First
It took Florida an extra session, but the Florida Panthers are back on top after a 3-2 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. Tonight, they step up in competition to put their 6-game win streak on the line. Outside of a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers a few weeks ago, the Panthers have played their best hockey of the NHL season with 10 wins in their last 11 games.
They have outscored their last six opponents 29-8 and 16-4 over their last three. Florida owns a potent top six led by two 30-goal scorers (Cater Verhaeghe 30 goals) and Sam Reinhart (39 goals) on the top line and 20-goal scorer Mathew Tkachuk (65 points) on the second. They are one of the few teams that have a decent 1-2 punch in goal with veteran Sergei Bobrovsky (28-10-2, 2.39, .915) getting the majority of starts, but backup Anthony Stolarz (9-5-2, 1.97, .926) has proven to be more than capable of carrying the torch.
NHL stats show only the St. Louis Blues (+10.07 units) and Vancouver Canucks (+8.53 units) have produced more profit for bettors this season and the Panthers, but they are not as strong in an underdog role with a record of 5-6 (-0.16 units) this season.
Massive Revenge Spot For ‘Canes
Next, in our Panthers vs Hurricanes betting preview, we’ll examine the Hurricanes. Many may have forgotten, but the Florida Panthers escorted the Carolina Hurricanes out of the postseason last year. Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour said that he believes the Panthers are the best team in the league, a thought based on the fact his team doesn’t play the Edmonton Oilers but twice a year, but we get it. This is the second match-up between the two Eastern Conference finalists of a year ago. The first game went to the Panthers, 5-2, back in November. Considering Florida outscored Carolina 5-1 after trailing 1-0, we can see where Brind’Amour may put the Panthers on top. That and the Panthers have beaten his team five straight games and eight of 10.
Bettor is still not sure who they’ll get in net for Carolina after Spencer Martin started the last two games because Pyotr Kochetkov was ill before the game against Chicago. Martin has been a recent addition to the Hurricanes but so far, in three games, has proven to be a reliable backup after giving up just one even-strength goal against the Blackhawks in a 6-3 win. Carolina is down 2.04 units this season, -1.05 units at home. We conclude our Panthers vs Hurricanes betting preview with our official selection.
Make It Three Straight Overs
The last two meetings have hit seven goals, with each game featuring at least 63 shots on goal. They managed those goals after going a combined 2-13 on the power play, so there’s more in the tank. Early betting has stayed at 6 (over -120) as a consensus number, but we’re starting to see some movement on the over in smaller markets, perhaps indicating that you may want to jump on this play now before the juice moves. There is too much scoring on the top six for both NHL teams to think that the pace of play won’t be fast, making our free NHL picks over 6. All the best with your NHL picks and parlays tonight. We hope you enjoyed our Panthers vs Hurricanes betting preview.
Panthers vs Hurricanes Odds
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