Panthers vs Oilers Prediction, Picks, Odds & Start Time (Mar. 19)

• The Oilers are -152 home favorites over the Panthers in Thursday’s Stanley Cup Final rematch at Rogers Place
• Florida has dropped two straight on their Western Canada road trip and sit last in the Eastern Conference
• See my Panthers vs Oilers prediction and picks below, plus odds, props and start time for Thursday night

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The Stanley Cup Final rematch heads north Thursday night as the Florida Panthers (33-31-3) visit the Edmonton Oilers (34-26-9) at Rogers Place. Five months after the Panthers claimed their second straight Cup, the defending champs are barely recognizable, sitting last in the Eastern Conference and losers of two straight on a brutal Western Canada swing.

Edmonton is a different story. Even without Leon Draisaitl, who’s done for the regular season with an upper-body injury, the Oilers are tied atop the Pacific Division and coming off a 5-3 win in San Jose where 13 players recorded at least a point. Sportsbooks have them pegged as moderate home favorites in the latest NHL odds.

Puck drop is set for 9 pm ET from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

Here are my Panthers vs Oilers prediction and picks, plus the latest odds, props and start time.

Panthers vs Oilers Prediction

• Over 6.5 Goals (-120 at DraftKings)

Brady Trettenero

Sports Betting Dime • March 19, 2026 at 9:53pm

Pick

Odds

Over +6.5

Over/Under

NHL • Florida Panthers @ Edmonton Oilers

-120 on DraftKings

SCHEDULED • 03/20/2026

See all 1 picks

Betslip #1773957228914-481c-261

These two produced nine goals in their only other meeting this season, a 6-3 Edmonton win in Sunrise back on Nov. 22. I’m expecting another high-scoring affair for my Panthers vs Oilers prediction Thursday night.

Neither team can keep the puck out right now. Edmonton ranks 27th in goals against per game (3.36), while the Panthers sit 26th (3.34). Both clubs also occupy the bottom two spots in team save percentage league-wide, with the Oilers at .876 (30th) and Florida at .873 (31st). That’s a recipe for goals.

Panthers vs Oilers Key Stats

The special teams mismatch is massive. Edmonton owns the NHL’s best power play at 31.8%, and the Panthers take the most penalties in the league at 11.78 minutes per game. Florida’s penalty kill ranks ninth, but that won’t matter much if they keep handing Edmonton four or five power plays a night.

The head-to-head history backs this up in a big way. The over is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings in Edmonton and 20-8-3 over the last 31 games between these franchises. Both teams are also running hot on game totals right now. The over has hit in Edmonton’s last five games on one day of rest, and in Florida’s last six.

Panthers vs Oilers Picks

I’m starting my Panthers vs Oilers picks with the most obvious beneficiary of Draisaitl’s absence.

Panthers vs Oilers Player Props

• Connor McDavid Over 1.5 Points (-130 at Bet365)

With Draisaitl sidelined, everything runs through McDavid. The Hart Trophy odds contender is the engine behind that league-best power play, and the Panthers’ league-high penalty rate should give him extra reps with the man advantage Thursday.

Thirteen Oilers recorded at least one point in Tuesday’s win over San Jose, but McDavid is still the hub of everything Edmonton does offensively. The Oilers score 3.52 goals per game (third in the NHL), and that production flows through their captain. At -130 for a multi-point night, I like the price.

• Zach Hyman Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-169 at FanDuel)

Hyman scored in Tuesday’s win over San Jose and has taken on a bigger role skating on McDavid’s wing since the Draisaitl injury. The 32-year-old winger is one of the higher-volume shooters on the roster, and a game with a 6.5 total means chances should be plentiful.

The juice is steep at -169, but Hyman thrives in games where Edmonton is expected to control possession. The Oilers win 53% of their faceoffs (fourth in the NHL) and outshoot opponents by 2.77 per game, so the puck should be on Hyman’s stick plenty Thursday night.

• Matthew Tkachuk Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+127 at DraftKings)

Tkachuk scored in Vancouver on Tuesday, just his second goal this month, and he’s the kind of player who generates shot volume no matter the game state. His shots line opened at 2.5 before books bumped it to 3.5, which tells you the market expects him to fire away.

Wrapping up my Panthers vs Oilers picks, I like Tkachuk at plus money here. With Barkov and Reinhart both out, the 28-year-old forward is carrying Florida’s offensive load. He’ll need to be aggressive in a game where the Panthers will likely be chasing, and that means shots.

Panthers vs Oilers Odds

Odds as of Mar. 19 via DraftKings Sportsbook. New users can grab the DraftKings promo code to bet on tonight’s Panthers vs Oilers odds.

Edmonton’s -152 moneyline carries roughly a 60% implied probability, while Florida’s +136 puts their chances around 42%. The Panthers vs Oilers odds have the puck line juiced heavily toward Florida at +1.5 (-178), which tells you books expect this to be closer than the moneyline gap would imply.

The total sits at 6.5, with the over favored at -120. If you want to chase a bigger payout, the under at +110 is there, but the trends are firmly on the over’s side.

Panthers vs Oilers Start Time & Projected Lineups

Puck drop for Thursday’s Stanley Cup odds rematch is set for 9 pm ET / 7 pm MT from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

Edmonton Oilers Projected Lines

Forwards:

Matt Savoie – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jason Dickinson – Jack Roslovic
Vasily Podkolzin – Josh Samanski – Kasperi Kapanen
Max Jones – Adam Henrique – Trent Frederic

Defense:

Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse – Connor Murphy
Jake Walman – Spencer Stastney

Goalie: Connor Ingram

Ingram gets the nod Thursday after making 27 saves in Tuesday’s 5-3 win over San Jose. The 28-year-old has been steady in an expanded role, posting an 11-6-2 record with a 2.71 GAA and .895 save percentage across 22 appearances.

Edmonton will be without Leon Draisaitl (upper body, out for regular season), Mattias Janmark (undisclosed, out for season), Colton Dach (undisclosed), and Curtis Lazar (undisclosed). Ty Emberson (undisclosed) is day-to-day.

Florida Panthers Projected Lines

Forwards:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
A.J. Greer – Anton Lundell – Mackie Samoskevich
Cole Reinhardt – Tomas Nosek – Jesper Boqvist
Nolan Foote – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza

Defense:

Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Dmitry Kulikov – Seth Jones
Donovan Sebrango – Mike Benning

Goalie: Sergei Bobrovsky

Panthers vs Oilers Goalie Stats

Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 22 shots in Tuesday’s loss to Vancouver, and it’s been a rough stretch for the 36-year-old this season. He carries a 3.07 GAA and .876 save percentage across 46 starts. The Panthers are 0-5 in their last five games against Western Conference opponents, and Bobrovsky’s recent road numbers have been a big part of that struggle. Florida is 1-7 over their last eight away from home.

Florida will be without Aleksander Barkov (knee), Sam Reinhart (undisclosed), Brad Marchand (lower body), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body), and Cole Schwindt (lower body). Uvis Balinskis (undisclosed) may return at some point during the road trip.