Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction, picks & odds: NHL ECF Game 2, 5/20

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We had to wait a few days for 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff action, but Thursday night proved it was worth it. The Eastern Conference Finals got things started, and it did not disappoint. The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes featured arguably the best game of the postseason thus far that nearly saw it enter a ridiculous fifth overtime.

Our experts were able to correctly predict a Florida upset for Game 1 in this articleFanDuel Sportsbook.

at FanDuel to claim a $1,000 No Sweat First Bet to use on our Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction, or any other sporting event of your choice.

As mentioned, Game 1 on Thursday night was absolutely thrilling. The Hurricanes got the scoring started in the first period, but the Panthers came back with two of their own in the second. Then, Carolina’s Stefan Noesen tied things up with a power play goal in the third to ultimately send things into overtime.

Florida fans thought they ended things much earlier than the four-overtime game with a goal in the extra session, but it was waved off due to goalie interference. Carolina fans then thought the same with a shot that hit off the crossbar. Finally, with just 13 seconds left before a fifth overtime was forced. Panthers superstar Matthew Tkachuk ended the game 3-2 with his goal assisted by Sam Bennett.

The schedule for the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals has already been set to have just a day between each game, which means rest is going to quickly become an issue with Game 1 featuring nearly five overtimes.

With that in mind and how evenly matched the Panthers and Hurricanes have already proven to be, we’re taking a different approach than we did in Game 1. While Florida came through for us with the upset, we’re anticipating a higher-scoring game on Saturday night with our Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction.

There may have only been five goals on the scoreboard in Game 1, but the scoring opportunities were certainly there. Not only did we see a goal waved off, but several that hit the crossbar and posts. In fact, per MoneyPuck, there were nearly 11 expected goals.

Of course, that value is a bit skewed due to the extra periods, but that’s still nearly double what we need for this game to get over the total. Florida is a team already known for their offense, led by Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. As much as Carolina prides itself on defense, the Panthers are one of few teams that can still penetrate.

Similarly, Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky had an incredible Game 1. However, saving 4.5 goals above expected in a single game is simply unsustainable. The Hurricanes may be missing Andrei Svechnikov, but Sebastian Aho is one of the favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a reason.

When these teams met just over a month ago, we saw 10 goals scored. Along with two extremely fatigued teams that just played two games in one night on Thursday, our Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction is on the over 5.5 goals with -118 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Now that you have our Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction under your belt, all that’s left to do is join FanDuel ahead of Game 2. Even if you want to fade our Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction or bet on something else altogether, you can do so with a $1,000 No Sweat First Bet.

That means that if your first bet loses, you don’t have to sweat the outcome because FanDuel will refund your wager amount in the form of bonus bets. Of course, if your first bet wins, you’ll still be paid out in full. So, either way you come away with something, and with no FanDuel promo code required, simply to lock in your $1,000 No Sweat First Bet today.

While your $1,000 No Sweat First Bet applies to any sporting event, we also have the latest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook for our Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction. The over 5.5 goals comes with -118 odds, so a $118 bet profits $100 if at least six goals are scored. If you want to fade our Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction, the under 5.5 goals has a -104 price, so a $104 bet profits $100 if the game ends with five or fewer goals scored.

You could also back Florida to pull off another upset and take their money line at +128 odds. If you think Carolina will bounce back and get the win, their money line has a -154 price. You’re welcome to take any approach to the game you’d like, but make sure you grab your chance at up to $1,000 in bonus bets by creating a new account at FanDuel.

Not only are we here with our Panthers vs. Hurricanes prediction for Game 2, but we also have the full schedule for the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals for you below:

• Game 2: Saturday, May 20 at 8 PM ET (at Carolina)
• Game 3: Monday, May 22 at 8 PM ET (at Florida)
• Game 4: Wednesday, May 24 at 8 PM ET (at Florida)
• Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, May 26 at 8 PM ET (at Carolina)
• Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, May 28 at 8 PM ET (at Florida)
• Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, May 30 at 8 PM ET (at Carolina)

Remember, you can continue to enjoy each of the upcoming games at FanDuel Sportsbook, so make sure youtoday.

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