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The Florida Panthers will travel to the Capital City of Canada to clash with the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. It will be a possible first-round playoff preview as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Panthers-Senators prediction and pick.
The Senators lead the head-to-head series 58-54. Yet, the Cats are 8-2 in the past 10 games against the Sens, including 3-2 in the last five games at the Canadian Tire Centre. So far, the teams have split the two games this season, with the home team winning each game.
Here are the Panthers-Senators NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Panthers-Senators Odds
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+194)
Moneyline: -128
Ottawa Senators: +1.5 (-245)
Moneyline: +106
Over: 5.5 (-106)
Under: 5.5 (-114)
How To Watch Panthers vs Senators
Time: 2 PM ET/11 AM PT
TV: ESPN+ and Scripps
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Panthers Will Cover the Spread/Win
Matthew Tkachuk is out until the postseason and will not play in this game. Thus, the Panthers must continue to figure it out without him. Aleksandar Barkov has a minor injury and might miss this game after missing the second half of the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The last time they beat the Senators, they had Tkachuk and Barkov available. Now, they must replicate those results, possibly without them.
It was 1-1 going into the second period of that 5-1 win when Barkov scored to make it 2-1. Then, Gusrav Forsling made it 3-1. Sam Bennett converted a shooting chance to make it 4-1. Finally, Anton Lundell finished things off with an empty-net conversion.
The Panthers fired 48 shots on the net. Additionally, they won 53 percent of the faceoffs. The Cats also went 1 for 5 on the powerplay in this contest. Without Barkov or Tkachuk, the Panthers must rely more on Bennett, Sam Reinhart, and Carter Verhaghe. Likewise, they will look to use more of Brad Marchand as he attempts to generate some scoring chances.
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Sergei Borbovsky made 26 saves. Likewise, the defense killed two of three penalties. They also peveled 30 hits and blocked eight shots to prevent the Senators from garnering too many good chances. Overall, this defense has been good all season. But they will have their hands full on the road against a team that just took down the Tampa Bay Lightning. Therefore, they need to defense the shooting lanes and not let the Sens get extra chances.
The Panthers will cover the spread if they can get scoring from Bennett, Reinhart, and Marchand. Then, their defense must prevent the Senators from getting good shooting opportunities.
Why the Senators Will Cover the Spread/Win
Brady Tlachuk is injured, and it could not have come at a worse time as the Senators are attempting to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2017. Now, they will likely need to play without him. The Sens will hope to replicate what they did against the Panthers in their last game at home.
Tim Stutzle started things off with a powerplay marker. Later, Shane Pinto scored to make it 2-0. Then, the Panthers struck back with a goal from Forsling. But the Senators answered back in the third period when Stutzle converted on his opportunity to make it 3-1.
The Senators fired 31 shots on goal, winning 56 percent of their faceoffs. They also went 1 for 3 on the power play, capitalizing on their opportunities. The offense did everything right to maintain puck possession and get better opportunities.
Linus Ullmark was efficient in this game, making 31 saves and allowing just one goal. Also, his defense in front of him was brilliant, making 30 hits and blocking 30 shots. The defense also killed off both penalties. Ultimately, they will have a shorthanded Panthers offense to contain, that will still be dangerous.
The Senators will cover the spread if Stutzle can find room to maneuver around the ice and find some great shooting chances. Then, they must defend the edges and not let the Panthers get any real shooting chances, and contain Reinhart.
Final Panthers-Senators Prediction & Pick
The Panthers are 34-41 against the spread, while the Senators are 30-45. Additionally, the Cats are 17-21 against the spread on the road, while the Sens are 12-23 against the spread at home. The Panthers are 35-40 against the over/under, while the Senators are 30-39-6 against the over/under.
The Panthers are hurting right now. While the Sens are missing Tkachuk, the Panthers are missing their Tkachuk and possibly Barkov. Plus, the Senators have already beaten the Panthers this season. I think the trend will continue again this time around. Therefore, I will roll with the Senators to cover the spread at home against the Panthers.
Final Panthers-Senators Prediction & Pick: Ottawa Senators: +1.5 (-245)
