The Florida Panthers scored first in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but the visiting Vegas Golden Knights then scored a pair of goals, and fans had to wonder if this game was going the same way as the first two, when the Panthers competed for a period or two before things fell apart. This time, though, the Panthers were able to even the score, as Matthew Tkachuk delivered once again with 2:13 remaining in the third period, and then force overtime, and Carter Verhaeghe had the game-winner from the slot just 4:27 into overtime, delivering a 3-2 win and making the series 2-1. This was Verhaeghe’s fourth postseason overtime goal in his career. Florida is 7-0 in overtime in the postseason; in fact, they have won more games in overtime than they have in regulation in these playoffs. Let’s break down your NHL betting choices for Game 4, set for Saturday night in South Florida.
NHL Stanley Cup Final Betting Preview for Game 4, Vegas Golden Knights at Florida Panther
Vegas leads, 2-1
When: Saturday, June 10, 2023, 8:30 pm ET
Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL
TV: TNT
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: Sling TV
NHL Odds: Vegas +103 / Florida -122 / O/U 5.5 goals
Why should you bet on the Golden Knights?
This season, when Vegas has been an underdog of +103 or longer, they have posted a 16-10 record. For the whole season, they have won 23 of the 38 games in which they entered as underdogs. They have permitted 21 goals over their last ten games while scoring 40, as they were also able to dismantle the Dallas defense in the West finals before scoring at will in the first two games of this series.
Goalie Adin Hill had some struggles in Game 3. He stopped 20 of 22 shots in regulation, but the Panthers scored on their first shot in overtime. Hill played serviceably, but his elite performance has unnerved and frustrated opponents throughout these playoffs. The Golden Knights scored two power-play goals in regulation, showing that their special teams are still rolling along. Jonathan Marchessault has 13 goals in his last 13 postseason games, and four in this series (three on the power play). As long as he keeps clicking, Vegas will keep delivering early goals.
Bet on the Golden Knights!
Why should you put your money on the Panthers?
When Florida has been the favorite this season, they have gone 37-30. Interestingly, they have gone 7-3 over their last ten games, but they are scoring fewer goals (2.4 per game) than they are giving up (2.5) over that stretch. That reflects the +8 goal differential that the Golden Knights stacked up in Games 1 and 2 of this series. Each game counts the same, though, and the Panthers were able to reestablish their backcheck while keeping their offense flowing, and that made the difference.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 of the 27 shots that he saw, a welcome improvement from the first two games in this series. Coming into the Finals, he had stopped 110 of the last 111 shots he had seen, and the Panthers needed that Bobrovsky in net. At this point, the Panthers have more statistical optimism than they did coming into Game 3. Of the last 55 teams that found themselves down 2-1 after three games of a Stanley Cup Final, 11 have come back to win. If you see who Florida has taken down already in these playoffs, you see that this is a team that can beat the odds.
Bet on the Panthers!
Final Score and Prediction
The Golden Knights have done a good job of bouncing back from losses in the playoffs. However, I think the Panthers figured things out defensively in Game 3 and should have a solid plan to even up the series on Saturday. I predict a final score of Florida 4, Vegas 2.
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