Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Game 2 Best Bets

by

May 20, 2023

The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are set to face off for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final tonight from PNC Arena.

All odds courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook.

Florida Panthers (+128) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-154) Total: 5.5 (O-118, U-104)

Some people say that Game 1 between the Panthers and Hurricanes is still going on to this day. The Panthers outlasted the Hurricanes in four overtimes in the opening game (yes, you read that correctly, four overtimes) to take a 1-0 series lead. It was such a tight affair, and both goaltenders continued to perform very well in the extra frame, which begs the question of how much energy they’ll have left in the tank after playing that marathon of a game. 

Heading into Game 2, the Hurricanes are once again listed as home favorites on the moneyline, where they’re priced at -154, compared to Florida, sitting at +128. With these prices, there’s some value on both sides of the equation, especially when you factor in how tightly contested Game 1 was. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup for tonight’s Game 1, the Panthers are expected to continue riding Sergei Bobrovsky in goal, while the Hurricanes should do the same with Frederik Andersen. The Panthers starting netminder has posted an 8-2 record, paired with a .927 save percentage, while Andersen is sitting at 5-1, along with a .936 save percentage. 

There’s a lot to like about how Carolina responds after losses, and we expect that with how well-coached they are, they will do the same tonight in Game 2. This team has been solid at bouncing back, and there’s enough value in their price point on the moneyline at -154 to look in their direction tonight. 

Best Bet: Hurricanes moneyline (-154)

During the regular season, the Panthers and Hurricanes met three times, which saw them tally three, four, and ten total goals in those matchups. Adding on Game 1, which saw them combine for five goals, it’s been a relatively low-scoring affair when these teams have collided, minus the one outlier performance. With the defensive clinics these two teams put on in overtime, we might see some tired legs in this matchup and, thus, more mistakes than usual. As a result, we believe there’s some value in this Game 2 in siding with the over 5.5 at -118. 

Best Bet: Over 5.5 (-118) 

With Carolina’s injuries to their forward group, they must play by a more offense-by-committee approach. That’s where young players like Seth Jarvis enter the equation. He’s already been a spark plug for them during their playoff run, and he continues to get better with each passing game. Jarvis has already tallied 10 points over 12 playoff games and found the back of the net in Game 1. With that, we like the notion of Jarvis finding his way onto the scoresheet, especially with Carolina controlling the matchups. His price of -136 to get a point is a very appealing number. 

Best Prop: Seth Jarvis to Record Over 0.5 Points (-136) 

Thumbnail photo via James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

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