- What: 2024 Stanley Cup Finals
- Who: Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers
- When: Game 1 on Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida
- How to Watch: ESPN and WatchESPN
And then there were two. After what has been an unreal NHL postseason thus far, we have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs Finals and fans across the planet can't wait to see how things go down. The Edmonton Oilers won the Western Conference Finals, while the Panthers were able to take down the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Both teams are feeling strong, but the Florida Panthers are favored over the Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. Who will come out on top?
Starting with Edmonton, they were able to punch their tickets to the finals on Monday night, taking down the Dallas Stars in Game 6. As you might have been able to guess, Connor McDavid was the star in the victory, scoring a goal and also providing an assist in the 2-1 win. McDavid is one of the best players in the NHL and he's been playing quite well in the postseason. More of the same will be needed from him with the title on the line. The same can be said for goalie Stuart Skinner.
| Stanley Cup odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers to win | -118 | -118 | -118 |
| Oilers to win | +105 | +105 | +105 |
| Under 5.5 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 5.5 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
"I can't say enough good things about him," McDavid said about Skinner after the thrilling Game 6 win over Dallas. "A lot of people doubted him. A lot of people said things about him, but he's done nothing but stand in there for us and stand tall. I'm so happy for him."
According to the best NHL betting sites, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Panthers hold -118 NHL betting odds to capture the glory, while the Oilers have been set at +105. Either way, we have a feeling that this is going to be a fun series, with star players ready to put on a show. In the end, though, something tells us that Edmonton is going to prove to be too dominant. We're going with the Oilers as our pick.
Four wins away. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/N8BWS8WMAq
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 3, 2024
How many games will the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals last?
A big question that a lot of people have on their minds is how many games will the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals last? While Florida indeed is their favorite, don't forget that Edmonton has been a lot of fun to watch of late as well and they're loaded with talent. With Florida, though, a lot of folks thought the Rangers would be the ones to take down the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Instead, Florida was able to wrap things up in Game 6 too.
It was a brutal end to the season for the Rangers, as they were hoping to bring home the cup. Florida made sure to prevent that from going down, with Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko scoring the goals in the series-ending win. Bennett has been fantastic over the past two games, as he also scored a goal and added an assist in the Game 5 victory. Two goals and an assist in the past two games? You better believe it. Funny enough, Bennett was relaxed and calm before Game 6 as well.
SAM BENNETT SCORES WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT IN THE FIRST 🚀 pic.twitter.com/skPEdzUtM2
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 2, 2024
"It is a normal day," Bennett said before the massive game last Saturday night. "There’s no reason to be nervous. We’ve been put in a lot of situations like this. It’s business as usual, play our game. Don’t think about all the other stuff going on - it’s a hockey game, we have to win a hockey game, and that’s our focus."
Per the oddsmakers, there are -110 NHL betting odds for this series to last less than 5.5 games and -110 odds for more than 5.5 games. With the over/under being set there, people are split on what to pick. With the sportsbooks, including the trustworthy BetOnline review, high on the Oilers before the series, plenty of fans think the under will be the hot decision. However, we disagree, as we're going with the over as our pick.
Connor McDavid has the best odds to win Stanley Cup MVP
It should come as no surprise, but Connor McDavid has the best odds to win Stanley Cup MVP this season. McDavid has been so awesome in recent weeks and he knows the pressure is going to be on for him to deliver. The Oilers have not won the Stanley Cup since 1990.
Back in the 80s, Edmonton was one of the top teams in the NHL, winning the title in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990. However, it has been a long 34 years for the Oilers and the fanbase is hoping that the long wait can come to a close. Again, it's not going to be easy, but the Oilers have a lot of things in the favor right now.
At the top of the list is that they're going to have the best player on the ice in McDavid. He's widely regarded as a superstar talent and no one can question that. McDavid will have the bright lights on him in the Stanley Cup Finals, but he's surely going to deliver. He's our pick to be named the 2024 MVP, no question.
