The Edmonton Oilers are set to host the Florida Panthers for Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday. This championship series is a highly anticipated rematch of last year`s final, where Florida ultimately triumphed in seven games. The Panthers advanced to this stage after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in a five-game Eastern Conference Final. Meanwhile, the Oilers secured their spot by also winning their Western Conference Final series against the Dallas Stars in five games. The puck drop for the opening game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Looking at the odds for Game 1, the Edmonton Oilers are listed as the favorite on the money line at -122. The Florida Panthers enter the game as underdogs with money line odds of +102. The total goals over/under for the contest is set at 6, and the Oilers have a puck line of -1.5 (+191).
Analysis and predictions for the game highlight specific potential outcomes:
- Panthers covering the puck line at +1.5 (-234)
- The total number of goals exceeding 6 (-130)
One factor favoring the Panthers on the puck line is their advantage in rest time leading up to the series opener. They have also demonstrated strong performance on the road in the playoffs, winning their last five away games. Furthermore, the Panthers have had recent success against the Oilers, winning the last three head-to-head matchups, including games from last season`s Final, with each victory decided by a single goal. Predictive models indicate a high probability of the Panthers covering the +1.5 puck line.
Regarding the total goals, recent playoff games for both teams have seen higher scores, with the Over hitting in two of their last three respective contests. Historically, regular-season meetings between these two clubs have also tended to be high-scoring, with more than six goals recorded in every game. While both starting goaltenders, Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner, have playoff save percentages allowing for over two goals per game, the offensive capabilities of both teams are significant. Edmonton boasts a playoff average of 4.06 goals scored per game over their 16 contests, while Florida averages 3.88 goals per night. These offensive statistics support the expectation of a high-scoring Game 1.
Elton Marrow 
Torin Vale