Golden Knights vs Panthers Opening Odds for 2023 Stanley Cup Final

• The Vegas Golden Knights play the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final
• Vegas has opened as series favorites in the Stanley Cup odds
• Read below for Golden Knights vs Panthers series odds, spread and prediction

It all comes down to this. The Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers will faceoff in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final for the chance to hoist hockey’s ultimate prize. Oddsmakers have already crafted a betting line for this best-of-seven series.

The opening 2023 Stanley Cup odds price the Golden Knights as small favorites over the Panthers. The spread for the series is set at -1.5 games, with oddsmakers projecting a close and hard-fought battle between two heavyweights.

Let’s analyze the Golden Knights vs Panthers odds and make our early pick for the Stanley Cup Final.

Golden Knights vs Panthers Series Odds

The 2023 Stanley Cup Final schedule is out, with Game 1 taking place Saturday, June 3rd at T-Mobile Arena (8:00 ET). TNT will be broadcasting every game in this series.

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Odds as of May 29th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out the best sports betting sites for the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. 

Golden Knights Favored in Stanley Cup Odds

Oddsmakers are predicting that the Vegas Golden Knights will beat the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. They’ve instilled VGK as -130 favorites on the moneyline in the series, meaning the Sin City team has a 56.5% implied win probability.

Vegas has dominated the Western Conference in the NHL Playoffs, taking down the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars thus far. The recent expansion team hasn’t required more than six games to win a series, including a recent six-game route of Dallas in the Conference Final.

let 'em know, Marchy 📣 pic.twitter.com/QSNCW3mBf0

— z – Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 26, 2023

While Vegas entered the playoffs as the top seed in the West, the Panthers are the true underdogs of the East. The Panthers entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed and have since taken down the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes.

Vegas was a team predicted by many to be in this spot at the beginning of the season, while Florida squeaked into the postseason before embarking on a remarkable Cinderella run. Conversely, VGK has been favored in every series thus far, while the Panthers have been priced as underdogs.

Vegas vs Florida Head-to-Head History

With Vegas and Florida playing in different conferences, plus VGK being an expansion team, there isn’t too much recent history to analyze. The two teams played twice during the 2022-23 NHL regular season, with Vegas winning 4-2 on January 12, and Florida winning 2-1 on March 7.

If we take things back to when Vegas first entered the league, we can see one team has a slight head-to-head edge. The Golden Knights have taken six of 10 all-time meetings against the Panthers, and are also a perfect 5-0 vs Florida at the “Fortress” aka T-Mobile Arena.

Here are the recent results for Vegas vs Florida dating back to 2020:

Vegas vs Florida History

Something interesting to note is the Panthers have outshot the Golden Knights in each of the past four meetings, although VGK holds a 349-307 all-time shots on goal edge. Bettors should also be mindful that the “over” has cashed in seven of 10 head-to-head meetings.

Golden Knights vs Panthers Series Prediction

Will Florida’s magic finally run out against the powerhouse Golden Knights in the Cup Final? It wouldn’t be wise to start doubting Florida now considering they’ve proved naysayers wrong all postseason. But, on the other hand, the stats do lean toward VGK being the better team.

The Golden Knights are averaging more goals per game while allowing similar goals per contest. The Panthers’ edge is in the goaltending crease, where Russian Sergei Bobrovsky is playing lights out with a .935 save percentage. Plus, in two games against VGK this year, Bobrovsky stopped 51 of 55 shots (.927 SV%).

Golden Knights vs Panthers Stats

The break in the NHL playoff schedule should benefit Bobrovsky, who played in multiple overtime games during the Eastern Conference Final. The question becomes whether fatigue becomes a factor late in the series if the VGK offense pours it on in waves like the Hurricanes did. For Vegas, goalie Adin Hill (.915 SV%) has been holding his own despite a lack of playoff experience.

Given VGK’s dominance on home ice and how well they shut down Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in Round 2, we’re backing them to take care of Florida in the Final. But with how the Panthers have defied expectations all postseason, this isn’t a bet we’re rushing to our sportsbook to make.

Prediction: Vegas in Six