The Carolina Hurricanes play host to the Florida Panthers tonight, as two heavyweights face off in this marquee matchup. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Panthers-Hurricanes prediction and pick.

The Panthers haven't played a game in over two weeks, since February 1st, where they lost to the New York Rangers on the road. This will be their first game back from the All-Star break as they try to extend their hot streak as of late. The Hurricanes are also coming off of a loss to Minnesota on Saturday, but are back home and hungry for another notch in the win column. 

Here are the Panthers-Hurricanes NHL Odds, Courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Odds: Panthers-Hurricanes Odds

Florida Panthers: +1.5 (-235) (-106 ML)

Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+186) (-113 ML)

Over: 6.5 (-110)

Under: 6.5 (-110)

Why The Panthers Can Cover The Spread/Win

The Panthers have had a lot of rest heading into this game, but some may say it could be rust. They start another three-game road trip in Carolina with 69 points so far on the season, putting them currently just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division. Florida's offense has been dynamic and consistent, scoring 4.09 goals per game, which ranks them at the top of the league. A big part of the Panthers' success so far this season comes from their goaltending in Sergei Bobrovsky. He's posting a record of 23-4-3 and averaging 2.56 goals per game with a .920 save percentage.

It's not official, but heavily assumed that Bobrovsky would get the start tonight against the Hurricanes. The Panthers need to score fast and early, which they are known to do, and maintain the lead in order to cover 1.5 points in this game or even better, flat-out win and come out of Carolina with another two points for their record.

Why The Hurricanes Can Cover The Spread/Win

The Hurricanes are surprisingly on a mini down-turn after coming out of the All-Star break, going just 1-2-1 since they've returned, and now they have run into an outstanding Florida Panthers team. Carolina is barely holding on to second place in the Metropolitan Division with 67 points, just three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and only one point ahead of the New York Rangers. With that said, the Hurricanes are ranked 5th in scoring this season with 3.48 goals per game. They are also a very good team defensively, allowing only 2.37 goals per game, the best in the league.

Goaltender Frederik Andersen just played on Saturday in their loss to the Minnesota Wild, but will most likely get the start between the pipes again tonight. The 32-year-old is 25-7-1 and averaging 2.04 goals against per game with a 9.29 save percentage. He'll look to shut the door on the Panthers tonight as long as her can get help in front of him, which shouldn't be an issue for the Hurricanes.

Final Panthers-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick

This is a huge matchup for these calibers of teams. Both are outstanding on the offensive side of things, as well as the defensive side of things – especially when it comes to goaltending. Sure, Carolina has lost three of their last four, but they are back at home where they're 16-4-1 on the season, while the Panthers are just 9-7-5 on the road. This game could honestly go either way, all depending on who can capture the momentum early and often.

As far as odds go, it honestly comes down to a toss-up. The Panthers are such a solid team and aren't underdogs very often. But with such an even line, I have to go with the home team on this one and back the Hurricanes -110 tonight. This line is subject to change considering the huge matchup, but I think this is a good line for a game like this.

Final Panthers-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick: Hurricanes Moneyline (-113)