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Panthers vs. Oilers Prediction & Odds Game 6: Stanley Cup Final Expert Picks

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: June 20, 2024 11:57 AM EDT • 3 min 61 sec read.

Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid celebrates scoring an empty net goal with defenseman Mattias Ekholm and forward Adam Henrique as Gary Pearson offers his best Game 6 Stanley Cup Final prediction.
Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid celebrates scoring an empty net goal with defenseman Mattias Ekholm and forward Adam Henrique during the third period against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Photo by Jim Rassol via USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers staved off elmination with a second straight win over the Florida Panthers and the Stanley Cup Final shifts back to Edmonton on Friday for Game 6. We have you covered with our best Panthers vs. Oilers prediction based on the top NHL odds. 

Well, that was something.

The Edmonton Oilers became the first team in NHL history to win Game 5 on the road after facing a 0-3 series deficit. Their odds-defying 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 also marked just the fourth time a team has forced Game 6 after losing the first three contests of a Stanley Cup Final. What's more, after a part of comfortable victories, the Oilers are the favorites to force a decisive Game 7 back in Florida, but the Panthers remain sizable favorites by the Stanley Cup odds.

Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET (ABC) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday.

Here is our Panthers vs. Oilers prediction and our NHL picks for Game 6.

Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6 prediction

Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

Oilers ML ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It feels increasingly like the Edmonton Oilers have a date with destiny. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but that happens when you watch the greatest player of a generation, likely ever, commandeer a Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid could not be stopped or slowed in Game 5, scoring four points for the second straight game, which, by the way, is a Stanley Cup Final record. 

Teammates can't speak highly enough of him, the perfect embodiment of a lead-by-example captain. His irrepressible desire to win the Stanley Cup and be the best player by a considerable margin has dragged the Oilers back into contention. While there is still a ton of work to be done, one can't help but feel McDavid won't be denied.

The Oilers' fourth goal in Game 5 perfectly exemplifies McDavid. He had been on the ice for almost two minutes, yet collected the puck deep and dissected the Panthers' defense, slipping by three with sensational stick handling while still sliding a perfect pass to a wide-open Corey Perry. Perry could hardly believe his luck. And his post-goal reaction confirmed his pleasant surprise. Perry said post-game that he didn't even call for the pass, knowing McDavid would find him despite being harassed by three Panthers' defenders. Outrageous doesn't do the play justice. 

McDavid has 42 points in 23 games and is now just five points behind the record of 47, set by Wayne Gretzky in the 1985 playoffs. He pole-vaulted to the top of the Conn Smythe odds leaderboard overnight, with his odds seismically shifting from +600 to -161 at . 

The rest of the Oilers lending a helping hand 

If it were possible to win a Stanley Cup on his own, McDavid would find a way. Thankfully, his teammates are chipping in, many lifting their level at the most desperate of times. 

Like McDavid, although to a lesser degree, Evan Bouchard is flying. He has four points in the last two games, notching three assists in Game 5. Bouchard has 26 assists, breaking Paul Coffey's single playoffs' record of 25. 

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Stuart Skinner is a remarkable 9-0 in Games 4 through 7 of the 2024 playoffs. In potential elimination games, Skinner is 4-0, providing untold hope for Oilers fans. The once-embattled Oilers' netminder looks like he's enjoying every second of each pressure cooker.

In Games 4 through 7, Skinner has a goals-against average of 1.56 and a .938 save percentage. He's also consistently producing timely, even miraculous saves, flying across the goal like a panther on high alert.

Special teams swinging back into Oilers' favor 

Speaking of Panthers, Paul Maurice's team has endured a woeful patch on the power play and penalty kill. 

They are 0-for-7 in the last two games. Even worse, the Panthers allowed shorthanded goals in Games 4 and 5, both of which opened the scoring. The Oilers have killed 43 of their last 44 penalties (97.7%), significantly influenced by Connor Brown's brilliance.

Compounding matters is their recent inability to stop the Oilers' power play, which scored two goals in Game 5 and one in Game 4, going 3-for-11 in the victories. For the Panthers to stop the rot, their special teams must be better, like they were in the first three games. 

The Oilers also have Rogers Place on a Friday night to look forward to. You'll most likely be able to hear the Oilers' faithful bellowing "Let's Go Oilers" from Calgary. Finally, I backed the Oilers to win the Cup in my , and I'll ride that bus until the wheels come flying off. The -120 odds represent an implied probability of 54.55%, and a $10 winning bet pays a profit of $8.33.

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Game 6 key players

Connor McDavid (Stanley Cup Final)Matthew Tkachuk (Stanley Cup Final)
Points in the final: 11 Points in the final:  3
Points at Rogers Place: 6Points at Rogers Place: 1
Goals in the final: 3Goals in the final: 1
Power-play points: 3Power-play points: 0
Conn Smythe odds: -150Conn Smythe odds: +15000 

Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6 odds & info

  • When: Friday, June 21
  • Puck drop: 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alberta)
  • How to watch: ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet
  • Favorite: Oilers (

Panthers-Oilers predictions made Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.