Tomorrow night at 8 PM, the puck will drop on the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals in Las Vegas, setting off a seven-game series between the Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers.
This is the second Stanley Cup Finals for both teams, with neither having won an NHL Championship before. The Panthers have resided in South Florida for 30 years, while Vegas just started up five years ago in 2018.
Home ice advantage is granted to the Golden Knights for the Stanley Cup Finals, and NHL betting sites are favoring them to win Game 1 at T-Mobile Arena.
Florida Panthers @ Vegas Golden Knights Game 1 Betting Line
- Puck Spread: Panthers +1.5, Golden Knights -1.5
- Moneyline Odds To Win: Panthers +110, Golden Knights -130
- Over/Under: 5.5
The Stanley Cup Playoff picture has shifted throughout the season, favoring different teams to win it all on a weekly rotating basis at times. As recently as May 29th, the Panthers were favored to become NHL Champions, but today, series prices suggest otherwise.
2023 Stanley Cup Series Prices
- Vegas Golden Knights -125
- Florida Panthers +105
Vegas by no means holds a commanding lead in these odds. Florida is five points ahead of even money, and Vegas is only separated by 30. If the Panthers take the first game of the series, look for series prices to flip dramatically in the direction of Florida.
Prop bets are now on the boards at Stanley Cup betting sites that project the exact outcome of the series. The following prop implies the most likely outcome is Vegas winning in seven games.
2023 Stanley Cup Odds For Series Outcome
- Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 +400
- Florida Panthers 4-2 +450
- Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 +475
- Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 +500
- Florida Panthers 4-3 +550
- Florida Panthers 4-1 +750
- Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 +1000
- Florida Panthers 4-0 +1400
Trailing by just 50 points in the moneyline odds is a Florida win in six games. Payouts on this prop range from $4 to $14 on one-dollar bets.
The Panthers have been aided throughout the NHL Playoffs in 2023 by Matthew Tkachuk and his clutch overtime-scoring efforts. Tkachuk currently holds +300 odds to win the Conn Smyth Trophy, which is awarded to the player who performed the best during the entire NHL Playoffs.
That places Tkachuk in second place behind Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky who possesses a moneyline of +200. Bobrovsky has won the Vezina Trophy twice, honors that are given to the best goalie of the season.
The Panthers have also been resting since May 24th because of their four-game sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. Don’t rest on betting on Florida to win the Stanley Cup because if they continue their winning streak, the odds never be higher than right now.
Sources: CBS Sports, USA Today, NHL.com
Stanley Cup Betting Odds Provided By Bovada Sportsbook (Bovada.LV Review)