The Florida Panthers are just one win away from claiming their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship, following a dominant 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 on Saturday. Veteran acquisition Brad Marchand played a key role, netting his ninth and tenth goals of the postseason. Although the Panthers have outscored the Oilers 23-16 in the series, they missed an opportunity to sweep, having lost Games 1 and 4 in overtime after squandering leads in both contests.
Game 6 is set to face off at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The latest odds position the Panthers as -146 favorites, requiring a $146 wager to win $100. The Oilers are listed as +122 underdogs, with a $100 bet yielding $122 in profit if they win. The total number of goals for the game is set at an over/under of 6.5. SportsLine expert Eric Cohen has shared his score prediction for Game 6.
Eric Cohen is a well-regarded expert from SportsLine and an Early Edge personality. He has a history of successful picks, including two golf winners in the past month and ranking among the top three college football experts on the site. Cohen previously placed a series bet backing the Oilers to win the Cup at -120 odds.
Eric Cohen`s Game 6 Picks for Panthers vs. Oilers:
- Panthers -1.5 goals (+170)
- Over 6.5 goals (-102)
- Sam Bennett to score (+180)
- Score prediction: Panthers 6, Oilers 3
Cohen`s Analysis:
Cohen admits that despite previously hoping for an Edmonton victory in the series, five games have shown that Florida is simply the superior team. He finds it hard to see them lose in front of their home crowd on Tuesday night. He believes the Panthers realistically could have swept the series, suggesting the Oilers` two wins were somewhat fortunate or “fluky.” While Edmonton boasts elite players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Florida benefits from greater team depth and the significantly better goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky.
For Tuesday`s game, Cohen anticipates Florida once again building a lead of two goals or more, similar to four of the previous five games, and successfully closing it out. Given that every game in the series has featured at least seven goals, he sees no reason to bet the under. He predicts Edmonton will pull their goalie late, allowing Florida to score one or two empty-net goals to seal their victory. Cohen notes that a key Panthers center (referring to the likely Conn Smythe favorite, Barkov) has been a prolific scorer in these playoffs. Based on this, he advises betting on Florida to cover the puck line at +170 and also on the over, as the Panthers are expected to clinch the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year in this game.
