Following a decisive 5-2 victory in Game 5 on Saturday, the Florida Panthers are now just one win shy of securing their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Brad Marchand, a veteran player acquired during the season, netted his ninth and tenth goals of the playoffs, moving Florida closer to the title. The Panthers have outscored the Oilers 23-16 in the series and could have achieved a sweep had they not lost Games 1 and 4 in overtime after relinquishing leads.
Game 6 is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. According to the latest odds, the Panthers are favored at -142, while the Oilers are underdogs at +120. For insights and predictions for this crucial Game 6 matchup between Florida and Edmonton, consider the analysis from SportsLine expert Eric Cohen.
Eric Cohen`s main picks for Game 6 of the Panthers vs. Oilers series include:
- Panthers to win by more than 1.5 goals (+170)
- The total score to be over 6.5 goals (-102)
- Sam Bennett to score a goal (+180)
- Cohen`s predicted final score: Panthers 6, Oilers 3
Cohen`s Analysis: Despite hoping for an Edmonton win, the performance across five games shows Florida is clearly the superior team. It`s difficult to imagine them losing Game 6 at home in front of their fans at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers arguably should have swept, with the Oilers` two wins seeming somewhat fortunate. Although Edmonton boasts elite talents like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Florida features a more balanced roster and the significant advantage of Sergei Bobrovsky in net. For Tuesday`s game, the expectation is Florida will build a two-goal lead, as they have in four of the five games, and maintain it. Given that every game has seen seven or more goals, betting the under seems unlikely. Anticipate Edmonton potentially pulling their goalie late, allowing Florida to score one or two empty-net goals to secure the win. A Panthers center is the leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP), having scored 14 goals, five in this series. Based on this, Cohen recommends betting on the over and the Panthers covering the puck line at +170 as they aim to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Having reviewed Eric Cohen`s predictions for the Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6 on Tuesday, further insights can be found from a predictive model with a strong record on NHL puck-line and over/under bets entering the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, holding a combined record of 80-56 on top-rated picks.
