This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks and Props for Panthers vs. Golden Knights
The Florida Panthers (23-12-2) made the second stop on a four-game Western Conference road swing against the Vegas Golden Knights (22-11-5) on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN+.
The Panthers picked up a 4-1 win at Arizona on Tuesday to open the trip, and Florida has tied a season-high with five consecutive victories. The team also won five in a row from Nov. 6-14. Florida has been favored in each of the past five games, too, while cashing the Under at a 6-1 clip across the past seven. Defense and goaltending have been hallmarks, with Florida conceding just nine goals in the past five games.
The defending champs have hit a rocky match. The Golden Knights have won just once in the past six games, and Vegas was embarrassed in the Winter Classic on New Year's Day in Seattle, as Joey Daccord and the Kraken blanked VGK by a 3-0 count at T-Mobile Park.
Florida kicked off its five-game win streak with a 4-2 win over Vegas in Sunrise on Dec. 23, cashing as a moderate favorite as the Under (6.5) hit. The Panthers exacted a little revenge after losing in the Stanley Cup Final last April.
In that Dec. 23 game, after a scoreless first period, Vegas led the game when captain Mark Stone put the team up just 81 seconds into the second, beating Sergei Bobrovsky. Sam Bennett and Gustav Forsling scored for Florida, giving the home side the brief lead, but Pavel Dorofeyev evened things up.
In the third period, a pair of penalties doomed VGK, and Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart struck on the man advantage, with Matthew Tkachuk picking up secondary helpers on both power-play goals.
Vegas won 3-2 last time out on home ice, topping the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 28. It is 5-1-1 in the past seven games at "The Fortress", too. Meanwhile, Florida has won three of the past four games on the road, while going 3-1 in the past four games against Western Conference teams, too.
Bobrovsky (18-9-1, 2.44 GAA, .912 SV%, 2 SO) is projected to go for the Panthers, while Logan Thompson (11-7-3, 2.81 GAA, .902 SV%) is expected to be between the pipes for the Golden Knights.
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NHL Money Line Bets for Panthers vs. Golden Knights
- Panthers ML (-113 at FanDuel)
The Panthers have been red-hot with five straight wins, kicking off the streak with a 5-2 win over the Golden Knights at home on Dec. 23. The Golden Knights have been terrible lately, struggling to score, while injuries have crushed the goaltending unit. Thompson is working his way back, but Adin Hill remains sidelined with a lower-body injury.
Florida is so-so offensively, posting just 3.0 PPG to rank 20th, but the defense and goaltending has been top-notch, allowing 2.5 GPG and 26.9 SOG per game, both 3rd in the NHL, and the penalty kill is on point at 83.3%, checking in 7th.
Vegas is in a rough patch. Overall, the offense is just so-so at 3.3 GPG with a 22.4% success rate on the power play. Defensively, it is also mediocre with an 81.5% penalty kill, although the 2.8 GPG still ranks 9th despite some injury issues in net. The safe play is backing Florida for the sweep, while playing the Under.
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NHL Totals Bets for Panthers vs. Golden Knights
- Under 6.5 (-120 at ESPN BET)
NHL Player Props for Panthers vs. Golden Knights
As far as the player props are concerned for this Stanley Cup rematch, we have one option per side, and we'll keep it pretty simple.
Bookmark our NHL player props page to find the best prices on your favorite wagers each day of the season. RotoWire has just launched a new props section so make sure to check out our Best NHL props tool to help you make your best betting decisions.
Looking to the visitors, Verhaeghe had a power-play goal in the first meeting in late December. In the past three outings he has scored three goals with six points while posting a plus-4 rating. He has managed 10 goals and 18 points in the past 15 games dating back to Nov. 30, yet as an anytime goal scorer he is still a value play somehow.
- Carter Verhaeghe Anytime Goal Scorer (+180 at FanDuel)
For the home side, Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault, a former Panthers player, squeezed off seven shots in the outdoor game on New Year's Day. While he was obviously blanked, like the rest of his teammates, he came to play. He has managed four or more shots on goal in seven of his past 10 games, yet is plus-money at Over 3.5 SOG. While he did have just three SOG in Florida in the first meeting, take advantage.
- Jonathan Marchessault Over 3.5 SOG (+130 at BetMGM)
