Stanley Cup Final 2024 Preview: Oilers vs Panthers Series Odds, Schedule & Early Picks

This 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final preview and early Oilers vs. Panthers betting picks are brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline is a market leader in sports betting, offering various options from NHL postseason odds to the UFC and everything in between.

Now that the Western Conference Finals are over, this year’s Stanley Cup Final is officially set. The 2023-24 matchup will pit the Edmonton Oilers against the Florida Panthers as the NHL’s two remaining clubs duke it out for Lord Stanley’s hardware.

OILERS. PANTHERS.

THE STANLEY CUP FINAL IS SET ?? pic.twitter.com/Hd3sKdYtdq

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 3, 2024

Both teams have a lot to prove when the Stanley Cup Final begins on Saturday. All eyes are on the Panthers after reaching the championship round for the second straight year, leaving time to tell if they can finally win their first-ever Cup. Meanwhile, the Oilers haven’t made it to this stage in nearly 20 years and haven’t won it all in 35.

This year’s championship matchup also features its fair share of NHL betting opportunities. This article is here to help get things started as we dive into the opening Oilers vs. Panthers odds and my early Stanley Cup Final predictions.

 Stanley Cup Final 2024: Oilers vs. Panthers Series Schedule

• Game 1: @ Amerant Bank Arena — Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
• Game 2: @ Amerant Bank Arena — Monday, June 10 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
• Game 3: @ Rogers Place — Thursday, June 13 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
• Game 4: @ Rogers Place — Saturday, June 15 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
• Game 5: @ Amerant Bank Arena — Tuesday, June 18 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
• Game 6: @ Rogers Place — Friday, June 21 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
• Game 7: @ Amerant Bank Arena — Monday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)

Get 50% up to $1,000 on your NHL playoff bets at BetOnline

Oilers vs Panthers Stanley Cup Final Odds

All Oilers vs. Panthers NHL Stanley Cup Final 2024 odds are courtesy of BetOnline. 

• Series odds: Oilers (+115) | Panthers (-135)
• Number of games: 4 (+600) | 5 (+265) | 6 (+200) | 7 (+195)
• Series total: 5.5 games — Over (-200) | Under (-160)
• Most likely scenario: Panthers 4-3 (+425)

NHL Conn Smythe Odds 2023-24

All Oilers vs. Panthers NHL Conn Smythe 2024 odds are courtesy of BetOnline.

• Connor McDavid, EDM (+250)
• Aleksander Barkov, FLA (+350)
• Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA (+375)
• Matthew Tkachuk, FLA (+600)
• Leon Draisaitl, EDM (+700)
• Evan Bouchard, EDM (+750)
• Carter Verhaeghe, FLA (+2000)
• Sam Reinhart, FLA (+5000)
• Gustav Forsling, FLA (+6600)
• Zach Hyman, EDM (+7500)
• Sam Bennett, FLA (+25000)
• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM (+25000)

Early Oilers vs Panthers Stanley Cup Final Predictions & Best Bet

Everything that happened in the 2023-24 playoffs up until this point officially doesn’t matter. The Oilers and Panthers are starting fresh with a clean slate this weekend, leaving time to tell who’ll be standing victorious once the dust settles.

As mentioned before, this is somewhat uncharted territory for the Oilers, who haven’t played in the Stanley Cup Final in nearly 20 years. They’ve beaten some solid teams to return to the championship round, having overcome the Los Angeles Kings (5 games), rival Vancouver Canucks (7 games), and Dallas Stars (6 games). Unsurprisingly, Connor McDavid (31 points) and Leon Draisaitl (28 points) have been Edmonton’s two best players thus far.

Conversely, the Panthers are playing for a title for the second time in as many years, hoping that this year’s series ends differently. Florida opened the postseason by taking out the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games before only needing six contests to eliminate the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.

The Panthers’ postseason run has been aided by three players playing at a point-per-game pace, including Matthew Tkachuk, who paces his teammates in assists (14) and points (19).

Matthew Tkachuk continues to be the Panthers’ best player throughout the 2023-24 NHL postseason. 

While neither team received consistent goaltending early on in the playoffs, that trend changed in the conference finals. The Oilers’ Stuart Skinner posted a 1.91 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in six games against the Dallas Stars while the Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky backstopped his way to a 1.89 GAA and .921 SV% against the New York Rangers.

When it comes to special teams, the Oilers have the Panthers beating, boasting NHL-best rates on the power play (37.3%) and penalty kill (93.9%). For reference, Florida ranks sixth (23.3%) and second (88.2%), respectively.

The Panthers also went 2-0 SU against the Oilers during the regular season, picking up a 5-3 home win and 5-1 road victory towards the end of 2023. Having said that, Edmonton is still 19-6 SU in its last 25 meetings with Florida.

The Oilers tend to win more often than not when they face the Panthers. Will that trend continue into the Stanley Cup Final? 

I could easily see this series going either way. On one hand, the Panthers are the deeper team and just experience the pressure that comes with playing in the Stanley Cup Final last year. On the other hand, you can never underestimate McDavid and Draisaitl on top of the fact that they have an entire country cheering them on.

I’ll take the Panthers to win, though, mainly because of last postseason’s experience. The Oilers are still young and have a lot of learning to do, which could come back to bite them in this series.

As for the best bet, I’m taking Connor McDavid to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. He’s easily been the best player throughout the playoffs and is more than good enough to win this award, whether the Oilers win or lose the series. After all, five players in NHL history have won the Conn Smythe while being on the losing team.

If anyone can be the sixth, it’s McDavid.

Oilers vs. Panthers Stanley Cup Final Prediction: FLA

BestOilers vs. Panthers Stanley Cup Final Bet: McDavid to Win Conn Smythe  (+250)

Get 50% up to $1,000 on your NHL playoff bets at BetOnline

---

Stanley Cup Final 2023-24 FAQ

When is the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final?

• The 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final is scheduled to begin on Saturday, June 8, and should be wrapped up by Monday, June 24.

Where is the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final?

• The 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final will be played at Amerant Bank Arena (Florida) and Rogers Place (Edmonton).

How can I watch the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final?

• Every game of the Stanley Cup Final will be airing exclusively on ABC and ESPN+.

Where can I bet on the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final?

• NHL bettors can wager on this year’s Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe odds on the majority of online sportsbooks, including the following that Betting Newshighly recommends:

• Trusted Online Sportsbooks
• BetOnline Sportsbook Review »
• SportsBetting Sportsbook Review »
• Bovada Sportsbook Review »
• SportBet Sportsbook Review »
• BetWhale Sportsbook Review »
• MyBookie Sportsbook Review »
• BetUS Sportsbook Review »
• BetDSI Sportsbook Review »
• Everygame Sportsbook Review »
• Bookmaker Sportsbook Review »
• WagerWeb Sportsbook Review »