The Florida Panthers are going head-to-head against the Philadelphia Flyers for the 3rd time tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. With the Panthers holding the marked advantage as -165 favorites and the Flyers sitting as +140 underdogs, there are tons of chances to bet on this game.
This doesn’t surprise us given that they’ve taken 2 of the previous games and they’re looking hotter than ever.
The Panthers have had a more consistent season so far with their 25-15-3 record, putting them firmly in playoff contention. On the other side of the ice, the Flyers, at 18-20-5, have struggled to stay competitive but still in the wild card race. A big part of that is because the standings in the Eastern Conference are so tight.
Florida has dominated this season's series so far. They’ve won both previous matchups, including a 7-5 win about a month ago. The Panthers undoubtedly have stronger offensive metrics, ranking 9th in goals in the NHL with 140 and sporting a power play conversion rate of 25.2%.
Taking a look at the Flyers, they lag with a 16th-ranked offense at 129 goals and one of the league's worst power plays at just 15.8%. Their struggles on both offense and special teams are going to work against them in a matchup against a dominant Panthers.
On defense, both teams have shown their own unique vulnerabilities. The Panthers rank 18th in goals against with 132, while the Flyers sit near the bottom with 149 goals against. This could easily be a shootout like their last game.
For Florida, Sam Reinhart continues to be one of the best on the ice as he's leading the team with 25 goals and 49 points. Aleksander Barkov, with his 26 assists, delivers big playmaking when it counts. Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky and his 18 wins and .900 save percentage has been reliable, though we would hold off on calling him spectacular.
Philadelphia’s offensive production centers around Travis Konecny. He leads the team with 20 goals and 50 points which puts him near the top in the NHL.
However, their goaltending situation is where we see the biggest problems. With Samuel Ersson holding an underwhelming .888 save percentage and 2.86 GAA, they’ll need him to step up to keep Reinhart and Barbov off the scoreboard.
If you’re wanting to get into some prop bets on this game, we do have a few we would recommend.
Sam Reinhart Anytime Goal. He’s notched at least 1 goal in 6 of his last 7 road games and we don’t think he lets off on the gas tonight. At +135 odds, we’ll take this bet all day.
Anton Lundell OVER 0.5 Assists. He’s put together goalscoring plays in each of his last 5 road games. He knows how to set up plays and work the puck. At +230, this is a prop bet you won’t want to miss out on.
The Panthers have seen better days as they are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. While they’ve been mediocre as of late, they’ve underperformed against the spread as well going 3-7-0. They’ve also been inconsistent offensively, scoring fewer goals per game than their season average during this stretch. Their latest effort, a devastating 4-3 loss to Boston, just underscored their struggles against elite teams, which Philly is not.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, has been 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, so they are not doing too much better. Despite a dominant 6-0 win over Anaheim in their last game, the Flyers have struggled with getting any amount of consistency. They’ve allowed an average of 3.7 goals per game over their last 10 games which is totally unsustainable if they want to be competitive.
The Panthers hold an undeniable edge in terms of offensive depth and special teams.
Their power play, led by Reinhart and Barkov, could easily exploit the Flyers' lackluster PK unit. On top of that, Florida’s success in controlling the tempo of the game through puck possession should easily limit Philadelphia’s chances.
While the Flyers do have home-ice advantage, they’ve struggled to contain high-scoring teams regardless of the ice they’re on. Ersson’s recent play doesn’t inspire much confidence, and the Flyers’ defensive lapses make them vulnerable to Florida’s aggressive attack.
BettorsInsiders Pick: Florida Panthers (-165)
The Panthers’ ability to generate scoring chances and their better overall roster depth make them the safer choice for tonight’s game. We expect Florida to notch a 3rd consecutive win against the Flyers to close out the regular season with them.
Prediction: Panthers 5, Flyers 3