The Ottawa Senators are on the road to face off with the Florida Panthers. Check out our NHL odds series as give out a Senators-Panthers prediction and pick. We will also tell you how to watch the game.
The Senators have just four games left on the schedule, and you should not expect to see them in the playoffs. Ottawa would need to win the rest of their games, but they would also need the teams they are chasing to lose out on the season. The Senators have 81 points this year and trail the second wild card spot by six points. They have not helped their case lately as they have earned just 11 points in their last 10 games. Ottawa is also on a three game losing streak, as well as dropping their last four road games. The Senators lost a tight one in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes their last time playing. Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk scored the goals in the loss.
Florida currently holds the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, they are tied with the New York Islanders at 87 points. If Florida falls to that second wild card spot, they would have to play the Boston Bruins in the first round and nobody wants to do that. The Panthers have been playing their best hockey as of late to keep hold of that top playoff spot. They have won six of their last 10 games, including their last four. Florida took on the Buffalo Sabres in their last game and won a close 2-1 contest. Matthew Tkachuk and Aaron Ekblad scored the two goals while Alex Lyon had an awesome night in net with 39 saves.
This is the third and final matchup between the two teams, and they have split the two previous games this season.
Here are the Senators-Panthers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Senators-Panthers Odds
Ottawa Senators: +1.5 (-110)
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 6.5 (-164)
Under: 6.5 (+134)
How To Watch Senators vs. Panthers
TV: Bally Sports Florida, TSN (Canada)
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Senators Could Cover The Spread
As stated earlier, the Senators needs to win out just to have a chance at the playoffs. One thing they need to do in this game is take advantage of the power play. The Panthers have the fourth most penalty minutes in the NHL. Ottawa will find themselves with a few power play opportunities in this one, and they need to capitalize like they have all season. The Senators are second in power play goals on the year. Drake Batherson has 21 goals on the season, but 14 of them have come on the power play. Tkachuk and Alex DeBrincat are the other two players for Ottawa with 10 or more power play goals. The Senators will need these three players to have a good game if Ottawa wants to come away with the win.
Cam Talbot is expected to start in goal for Ottawa. He is the Senators best goaltender and allows just 2.89 goals per game. The Panthers have a solid attack, so Talbot will need to have one of his better games of the season Thursday night.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
Florida wins games by outshooting and outscoring opponents. It is rare to see a low scoring game from the Panthers. As a team, the Panthers are fifth in the NHL in goals per game and they lead the league in shots. Carter Verhaeghe had a four goal game less than a week ago and Matthew Tkachuk had a hat trick last Thursday. These two players are capable of putting up big games and finding the back of the net multiple times. If both of these skaters are at their best, Florida is going to be a hard team to beat.
Sergei Bobrovsky will be in goal for the Panthers in this one. He has 50 games played on the season, and is the Panthers best guy in net. He has a save percentage over .900 and gives up just over 3.0 goals per game. Ottawa scores just 2.7 goals per game on the road, so Bobrovsky should not have a hard time with the Senators Thursday night.
Final Senators-Panthers Prediction & Pick
It seems simple. The Senators are not playing well and the Panthers are playing really well. Florida is a much better team at home and they should roll through the Senators in this one. Expect the home team to win this one and cover the spread.
Final Senators-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Panthers -1.5 (-110), Over 6.5 (-164)
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