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The Florida Panthers will travel to the City of Brotherly Love as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. It's time to eyeball our NHL odds series with a Panthers-Flyers prediction and pick.
The Panthers are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. However, they nearly rallied from three goals. Florida trailed 3-0 in the third period when Eety Luostarinen plucked a rebound into the net to cut the deficit to 3-1. Later, Matthew Tkachuk redirected a Brandon Montour shot into the net to make it 3-2. The Panthers ultimately could not find the third goal and fell short.
The Flyers fell 3-0 at home to the San Jose Sharks last Sunday. Ultimately, none of their 30 shots went past San Jose goalie James Reimer, and the Flyers left the building with nothing.
The Panthers have won seven of the last 10 matchups in this series. Also, they are 3-4-3 in the previous 10 games at the Wells Fargo Center. The Panthers won 4-2 in this building last season. Now, they look to break out of a cold spell. They have not produced the explosive offense they are accustomed to, while the Flyers have performed above expectations. Can Florida snap out of its issues? Orr, will Philadelphia continue to roll?
Here are the Panthers-Flyers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Panthers-Flyers Odds
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (-114)
Philadelphia Flyers: +1.5 (-140)
Over: 6.5 (-130)
Under: 6.5 (+106)
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
The Panthers made the blockbuster trade of the offseason by trading away Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar and receiving Tkachuk. Subsequently, Tkachuk has done well, but his new teammates have struggled. We do not see the same production level from Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Aaron Ekblad. Consequently, all three have taken a dip in production and are attempting to rediscover their scoring touch.
Barkov has yet to score a goal, which is usually his specialty. Yes, he has provided four assists. But the Panthers are counting on his goal-scoring, which has been nonexistent through seven games thus far. Barkov produced 39 goals last year and is the cog that makes the engine go. Likewise, Reinhart has yet to score a goal. He has one measly assist this year. Comparably, he produced 33 goals and 49 assists last year. Now, he has to find his scoring touch to help the Panthers and snap out of his slump. Ekblad has one goal but no assist. Ultimately, the Panthers are counting on him to replicate his numbers from a season ago, where he churned out 15 goals and 42 assists. Florida has not seen these three do much through the first seven games. Coincidentally, all three struggling have helped produce three losses over the first seven.
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Tkachuk has not had an issue with his new team. Moreover, he has scored four goals and produced five assists over the first nine. The Panthers will need more of that from him while the other three attempts to find their scoring abilities.
Sergei Bobrovsky has not had the greatest start in the net, either. Ultimately, he has 2-2-1 with a 2.85 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.
The Panthers will cover the spread if their scorers can produce goals and overtake Philadelphia early. Consequently, the San Jose game showed you could beat the Flyers by scoring early.
Why The Flyers Could Cover The Spread
The Flyers have been a pleasant surprise. However, no one expects them to keep this up. There is one significant reason why they have played so well. Stunningly, it has been goaltending. Carter Hart has not had a great start to his career. However, he is off to a fantastic start, going 4-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average and delivering a .949 save percentage. It will be the most challenging test for Hart to determine if this hot start is for real or if it is a fluke.
His offense has been hit or miss. Travis Konecny has four goals and two assists, while Kevin Hayes has one goal and seven assists. Ultimately, these two have teamed with James Van Riemsdyk to produce an efficient but inconsistent offense. Neither could get anything going against the Sharks, and they will look to rebound in this contest.
The Flyers will cover the spread if they can strike early and give Hart some cushion. Subsequently, they must convert on any powerplay chances and execute on the offensive end.
Final Panthers-Flyers Prediction & Pick
It is difficult to trust the Flyers. Consequently, there is more confidence in the Panthers snapping out of their scoring slump than the Flyers maintaining their excellence. If Hart can win here, we may have something. However, the Panthers are the superior team on paper and have the players to execute.
Final Panthers-Flyers Prediction & Pick: Florida Panthers: -1.5 (-114)
