NHL Best Bets: Blackhawks vs. Panthers Game Picks

The Florida Panthers are trying to make one last playoff push in the Eastern Conference as they play host to the Chicago Blackhawks.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

It’s currently very crowded at the cut line in the East, and the Florida Panthers are still in the conversation for one of the final spots. They’ve fallen pretty far off from the team they were a year ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy, but there are still certain things to like about this hockey club.

On the other hand, the Blackhawks made their intentions very clear when they sold off most of the pieces on their roster, including some younger bodies. They have their eyes set on a high draft pick for next season and a rebuild. 

This will be the second meeting between these clubs, with the first seeing the Blackhawks double up the Panthers 4-2. Florida enters this contest with two straight victories and a 6-4 record over their past ten games, while the Blackhawks are 5-5 over that same sample size. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Blackhawks are expected to start Alex Stalock, while the Panthers should be countering with Sergei Bobrovsky. The Blackhawks netminder has posted a 7-8-1 record, paired with a .920 save percentage, while the highly-paid Bobrovsky is sitting at 20-17-2, with a .907 save percentage. It’s hard to give an edge to Bobrovsky here, even with his experience, because you really don’t know what you’re going to get from him on a nightly basis. 

The Panthers are massive favorites in this matchup at -490 on the moneyline, but the Blackhawks have been playing their competition hard of late and staying in games. We aren’t going to say that Chicago will win this game outright, but we’re confident in the value they’re bringing to the table to keep this a one-goal game and cover the puck line. 

Best Bet: Blackhawks Puck Line +1.5 (+150) 

The earlier matchup saw these teams combine for six goals, while the total for tonight is 6.5, with the over juiced up to -104, while the under is sitting at -118. Neither team has been very good at keeping pucks out of their net, with them each in the bottom third of the league in goals allowed per game. Over the Blackhawks’ past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored twice, while the Panthers have not seen that transpire over that span. Despite the price tag, the under 6.5 is too good to pass up with the recent trends they’ve shown. 

Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-118) 

There’s more talent on this Panthers team than on the Blackhawks and clear value for some Florida forwards. A trade in the offseason which changed the Panthers’ DNA saw them acquire Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames. Tkachuk has come as advertised and tallied 81 points in 62 games to lead the club. He’s great at bringing his teammates into the fight and has also been a major contributor to their team’s success. Tkachuk is priced at +106 to score in this matchup, and there’s value in backing that number. 

Best Prop: Matthew Tkachuk to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+106)

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