It took two games plus a little extra time to find a winner in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes. Matthew Tkachuk ended Wednesday’s marathon, giving home ice to the Panthers in game one’s 3-2 victory, extending their road-winning streak.
We’ll review the odds, trends, and stats before making our betting picks for game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. You can catch the Panthers vs Hurricanes from PNC Arena in Raliegh at 8:00 PM ET on TNT, CBC, Sportsnet, and TVAS.
Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Game Two Odds and Trends
First, let’s review the betting records and odds as of publication.
The Carolina Hurricanes are the home favorite again, listed between -143 and -155. Despite winning game one and their success over their improbable playoff run, the Florida Panthers are listed between +123 and +130.
The Canes (-1.5) have a 38-56 ats record, while the Panthers (+1.5) have a 43-52 ats record.
The total goals line is set at 5.5 again. The under is listed between -145 and -155, while the over is listed between +125 and +130. Carolina has a 41-49-4 over/under record, while Florida has a 48-39-8 over/under.
The Canes had a 28-10-3 home record, while the Panthers had a 19-19-3 road record in the regular season.
Betting Trends
The head-to-head series is tied 2-2, with each team having a 1-1 record on the road.
The under is 3-1 in the head-to-head series. The three games hitting the under finished with five total goals or less.
The under is 7-2 in Florida’s last nine games against the Atlantic Division.
The Panthers are 6-2 in the previous eight head-to-head matchups. The Panthers have won seven straight games on the road.
Florida has hit the under in six straight games and has a 4-6 over/under record in their last ten games. Carolina has a 6-3-1 over/under record in the last ten games.
Only one of the four matchups between the Panthers and Canes has ended in a one-goal game.
Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Game Two Stats
The five-on-five stats slightly favor Carolina.
The Canes are averaging 3.50 gpg while giving up 2.58 gpg compared to the Panthers, averaging 3.31 goals per game and giving up 3.00 gpg.
Despite the Hurricanes scoring both of their goals in game one on the powerplay, the powerplay advantage lies with the Panthers, who are converting at 25.0% compared to the Canes’ 20.9%.
Carolina has a huge statistical advantage in penalty-killing efficiency, operating at 90.9%, compared to Florida’s 65.9%.
Starting Goalies
Both goalies were outstanding in game one.
The Florida Panthers will start Sergei Bobrovsky (24-20-3, 3.07 GAA, .901 SV%) in net for game two. Since taking over the net in round one, Bobrovsky has an 8-2-0 record, a 2.43 GAA, and a .927 SV%.
Carolina will counter with Frederik Andersen (21-11-1, 2.48 GAA, .903SV%). Andersen has a 5-1-0 record, a 1.65 GAA, and a .936 SV% in the playoffs.
Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Game Two Betting Picks
Considering it took seven periods for these two teams to score a fifth and deciding goal in game one, we’re taking the under of 5.5 as our first pick. It also helps that the betting trends favor the under.
As for our second pick, logic, and playoff history suggests that the Hurricanes will tie the series in game two, and that is our recommended pick: the Carolina Hurricanes to win on the moneyline.
However, there is a vibe in South Florida right now.
Can Chucky and the Florida Panthers match Playoff Jimmy and the Miami Heat by winning the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road against the heavily favored home team?
While logic dictates the Hurricanes should win this game, our personally motivated by South Beach-vibes pick is to take the Florida Panthers to win on the moneyline.
