NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Panthers vs Golden Knights (Thursday, January 4)
(Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images) Pictured: Matthew Tkachuk
Panthers vs. Golden Knights Odds
| Panthers Odds | -110 |
| Golden Knights Odds | -110 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -127 / +105 |
Vegas and Florida are having fantastic campaigns, but the Golden Knights have been struggling lately while the Panthers couldn't be hotter. So, will Florida win its second meeting against Vegas since the Stanley Cup Final? Let's take a deeper look and make a Panthers vs. Golden Knights prediction.
Florida has won five straight games, including a 4-2 victory over Vegas on Dec. 23. At the heart of that hot streak is Sergei Bobrovsky. The 35-year-old goaltender has started in four of those five victories while saving 102-of-110 shots (.927 save percentage). That's elevated him to 18-9-1 with a 2.44 GAA and a .912 save percentage over 28 games.
He's not singlehandedly winning those games, though. Sam Reinhart has been phenomenal during that stretch, providing six goals — three on the power play. He's no stranger to success, but with 24 markers and 45 points through 37 outings, this has been a fantastic campaign even by the 28-year-old's high standards. He typically gets paired with Aleksander Barkov, who has been an ideal support, assisting on all of Reinhart's past six tallies. For his part, Barkov is up to 11 goals and 39 points in 34 games this season.
Florida's second line, featuring Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk, is also rolling. Verhaeghe has four goals and eight points over the past five contests, while Tkachuk has contributed a goal and six points during the same span.
The Panthers haven't done that well offensively this season — they're in a three-way tie for 20th with 3.00 goals per game — but the talent up front has always been there. Now that it's clicking and Bobrovsky is performing at an elite level, it's easy to see why Florida is having success.
Of course, Vegas also has superb goaltending and elite forwards. So, why hasn't it seen success recently? Well, injuries. Vegas is missing No. 1 goaltender Adin Hill (undisclosed), along with defensemen Ben Hutton (upper body), Kaedan Korczak (lower body) and Shea Theodore (upper body). As a consequence, Vegas has allowed 4.10 goals per game in 10 contests dating back to Dec. 10. The fact that the Golden Knights are 4-6-0 with that leaky goaltending and poor defense is a testament to their incredible perseverance and offense.
Vegas' situation might get worse before it improves, though, because one key pillar of that offense, William Karlsson, is set to miss the next two contests with a lower-body injury. Karlsson ranks third on the team in goals (15) and points (32). Without him, Vegas still can spread out the talents of Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone over two lines to create an effective one-two punch, but the luxury of Karlsson was the ability to employ him as the third-line center, giving the Golden Knights a level of scoring depth few adversaries could handle.
If there's a silver lining, it's that the game will be played in Vegas, which is typically a big deal for the Golden Knights. They're 13-3-2 at home versus 9-8-3 on the road. Maybe it's the atmosphere in T-Mobile Arena or the distraction visiting players might have playing in Vegas, but the Golden Knights have always been dominant in their home arena as they boast a 156-71-20 home record as a franchise.
(Are you in North Carolina? With North Carolina sports betting coming online this year, you’ll be able to bet legally at major sportsbooks. Learn more.)
Panthers vs. Golden Knights
Betting Pick & Prediction
Under normal circumstances, I'd say Vegas has a slight edge, but the Golden Knights are working through significant injuries and faltering a bit while Florida is red hot. That swings this enough in Florida's favor to make the Panthers worthy of a pick, even with the game being in Vegas.
If you're looking for an alternative bet, you could also consider Under 6.5 goals. The payout is marginally worse, which is partially why it's not my primary recommendation, but with Karlsson hurt and Bobrovsky performing at a high level, there's a fair chance this game will squeak under that 6.5-goal threshold.
Pick: Florida Panthers Moneyline (-110) | Play to -120
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