Saturday’s Best Computer Pick
- Hurricanes ML (-140) at BetRivers
Still raw from 4 overtimes during the first game of the series, Florida and Carolina face off again at the PNC Arena, where the Hurricanes will look to even the series up before they head to Florida for back-to-back games.
Here is our favorite pick for the game, courtesy of OddsTrader’s NHL computer predictions.
Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Saturday, May 20, 2023 – 08:00 PM EDT at PNC Arena
Carolina Undone Following 4 OT’s
Game one of this series was a slog and a half. As some people joked on social media, the game lasted longer than the Toronto Maple Leafs’ second round. Although it was a joke, a long game did ensue as the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers tied 2-2 at the end of regulation.
The result of this tie saw both teams play until somebody scored a winner, and we almost had a winner after the first three minutes when the Panthers got on the board, but the goal was eventually ruled out due to interference.
Eventually, Matthew Tkachuk showed up with the winning goal in the 79th minute of overtime, meaning the overtime actually went on longer than the initial game itself. Both teams had an eye-watering 125 shots during the game.
The Hurricanes ran into a red-hot Sergei Bobrovsky on the night as he managed to save 42 shots on net, while the Panthers went on to win 3-2 having had 15 shots less on net.
Florida Panthers
- Florida is 7-0 in their last 7 games on the road.
- Florida is 6-3 in their last 9 games against an opponent in the Metropolitan Division.
- The total has gone under in 5 of Florida’s last 5 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference.
Carolina Hurricanes
- The Carolina Hurricanes are 51-23 ATS (+4.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
- Carolina is 8-2 in their last 10 games at home.
- The Hurricanes are 8-7-0 straight up against the Panthers over the last 3 seasons.
Under Worth Considering
We liked the under in game one, and it duly delivered, as we had the under 5.5 goal line at +105. The sportsbooks are weary of another low-scoring game, with some totals set as low as 5.0; the majority of the sportsbooks are offering +100 for the under 5.5 total.
Our computer is predicting another under total game here, and although it’s hard to see where the goals will come from, especially following game one, this is unprecedented territory for both teams following the length of overtime in the previous meeting. We like the under and wouldn’t oppose anybody looking to run it again at plus money, but we believe the better pick for this game two is laying the juice on the Hurricanes.
Carolina to Take Game Two
The Carolina Hurricanes came into this Eastern Conference finals as the favorites to lift the Stanley Cup at +350 NHL betting odds. But will the curse fall upon them also, as both previous favorites Boston and Toronto were knocked out by the Florida Panthers?
Either way, we are taking the Hurricanes to bounce back in this game and come away with a victory to tie the series up at 1-1. Our computer predicts a Hurricanes win, albeit by one goal, and we tend to agree.
We simply cannot see this Hurricanes side wanting to play two games in a row in Florida having lost both home games, it would almost certainly be the nail in their Stanley Cup coffin.
We are laying the -140 juice on Carolina to win this matchup, but if you’re feeling like this game won’t go all the way to overtime, the Hurricanes can be bet at +120 to win the game in regulation.
Predicted Score: Florida Panthers 2 – Carolina Hurricanes 3
NHL Pick: Hurricanes ML (-140) at BetRivers
