NHL Odds: Panthers-Flyers prediction, pick, how to watch
The Florida Panthers look to win their fourth consecutive game in a row as they travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Panthers-Flyers prediction and pick will be revealed.
After a somewhat sluggish start to the season, the President Trophy-winning Florida Panthers have kicked things into high gear as they now sit comfortably in the Eastern Conference playoff picture with wins in seven of their last eight games overall. The last time out on the ice, it was Florida that was able to overwhelm the Detroit Red Wings by a final score of 5-2.
Unfortunately for the Flyers, things have gone from bad to worse as Philadelphia enter Tuesday evening as losers in nine of their previous 11 games played overall. With a record of 25-32-12 in the team’s first 69 games played, can the Flyers secure some sort of pride in the final 13 matchups of the regular season?
Here are the Panthers-Flyers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Panthers-Flyers Odds
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+130)
Over: 6.5 (-124)
Under: 6.5 (+102)
How To Watch Panthers vs. Flyers
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 ET/4:o0 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
In inexcusable fashion, the Panthers were toppled in the second round of last year’s playoffs by the three-time defending conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning in a four-game sweep. Not only was the end of last year’s juggernaut of a squad more than surprising, but that heartbreak seemingly carried over into this year’s season-long campaign as it took the Panthers a hot minute to return to their highly competitive form.
For starters, Florida has done a tremendous job over their successful streak when it comes to scoring goals at a consistent rate. As a whole, the Panthers are averaging a whopping 3.50 goals per game and have also tallied an abundant 18 scores over the course of their last trio of games played. Alas, there is no doubt that this part of Florida’s game is where they inflict the most damage, and against a Flyers team that is prone to giving up a plethora of goals, this is certainly where the Panthers have the best chance of covering the spread.
In addition, few players in franchise history have been as elite as center Aleksander Barkov, as his 43 assists on the season has set a franchise record for most points ever with a total of 614. A dynamic as they come, keep your eyes peeled on Barkov to be on the attack all evening long versus a Philly defense that tends to have more holes than Swiss cheese.
Why The Flyers Could Cover The Spread
Although Philadelphia’s inconsistent play has been plagued by bad turnovers, poor scoring opportunities, and even sloppy defense, even a team like the Flyers are capable of stringing together a well-played contest en route to a possible covering of the spread.
In order to pull of this feat, it certainly helps to be smack dab in the middle of a season-long seven-game homestead. While the Flyers have only recorded a 13-16-5 record on their home-ice, they obviously have experienced far more success in comparison to when they have played on the road.
With the home fans buzzing with energy in hopes that it can rejuvenate this Flyers roster, Philadelphia must find a way to get their young players going on both ends of the ice from the opening face-off. Since the struggling Flyers won’t be participating in the postseason this year, Philadelphia’s main objective has turned into finding out which youthful playmakers deserve to be in the mix of this team in the future seasons to come.
Above all else, Philadelphia’s best chance at securing a spread-covering victory will fall on the shoulders of goaltender Carter Hart. Clearly, the top net-minder that exists in this clubhouse, it will end up being vital for Hart to be on his A game with the difficult task of trying to slow down a high-octane offense like the one that the Panthers possess. In his last outing versus Buffalo, it was the 24-year-old Hart that stopped 36 of 38 shots on St. Patrick’s Day to help his team get the 5-2 victory. If Hart can stand on his head in this contest, then anything is truly possible.
Final Panthers-Flyers Prediction & Pick
On paper, this matchup doesn’t look like it will be competitive whatsoever, but despite the Panthers playing red-hot hockey at the moment while the Flyers continue to scuffle backward, expect Philly to do just enough to keep this one close even if they end up losing narrowly.
Final Panthers-Flyers Prediction & Pick: Flyers +1.5 (-156)
