Vegas is on the brink of its first-ever Stanley Cup Trophy, while Florida needs another miracle to stay alive. Before you bet on Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, read this! We have three free picks on what we believe will be the final NHL game of the year.
- What: Game 5 of NHL Stanley Cup Finals
- Who: Florida Panthers at Vegas Golden Knights
- When: 06-13-2023
- Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 Preview
Any betting preview of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup has to start with the current odds. Across the most popular sportsbooks for NHL Stanley Cup, the home-ice Knights are favored comfortably to end the series once and for all. Here are the current odds:
Game 4 was won quite convincingly by Vegas, hence the favoritism. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Florida tacked on two goals down the stretch to make it closer than it actually was. Chandler Stephenson was responsible for two goals to give him 19 points for the postseason. A major reason for the Golden Knights success has been scoring depth and Stephenson was the latest to add to that.
History is not kind to teams that fall 3-1 in the series. Out of the 37 times it’s happened in Stanley Cup history, only one team was able to rally back. That was way back in 1942 by Toronto when they could still win the “big one” (sorry Leafs fans, we couldn’t help ourselves). If that wasn’t bad enough for the Panthers, they could be without a star player come Tuesday.
Matthew Tkachuk has an upper-body injury and his Game 5 status will be a game-time decision. In Game 4, Tkachuk played only 16 minutes due to the injury. The star winger leads the team in points (24) and goals (11) this postseason so it’s not a small loss if he can’t suit up.
Best Bets Of Game 5 Of NHL Stanley Cup Finals
Not sure which bets to make for Game 5 or Stanley Cup? Here, we got you! Below you’ll find our three favorite picks:
Over/Under 6 Goals
After a scoring flurry in the first two games (16 combined), things came back down to Earth the prior two games whilst in Florida. Both matchups ended 3-2. Perhaps that’s why oddsmakers are being subtle with an over/under of six goals:
A huge reason behind why Vegas has been held in check lately is the re-emergence of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Before the Finals began, he was the frontrunner to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Things came crashing down after being benched in the middle of Game 2. But to his credit, Bobrovsky has fought back. His save percentage is above .900 in each of the past two games.
We expect Bobrovsky to keep it up and at least contain the Golden Knights’ high-flying attack. If so, betting the under six goals makes serious sense.
Moneyline
We tried to talk ourselves into a Panthers upset win, we really did. After all, this team was similarly down 3-1 in the first round to a Bruins team that had record regular-season success. They managed to claw back so if there’s a team that can do it, it’s surely Florida.
However, we just can’t see it happening again — not against this Vegas squad that’s largely cruised through the playoffs and post-All-Star break for that matter. Simply put, the Panthers are overmatched by the Knights depth. When it’s not Jonathan Marchessault beating you, it’s Jack Eichel. When it’s not Eichel, it’s Mark Stone. We could do this on and on but you get the point. Lock in Vegas to win here.
60-Minute Line Prop Bet
While we have the Knights winning, we don’t think it’ll be easy. That’s what led us to bet this prop on the 60-minute moneyline. In this bet, draw is a betting option. Here are all three betting options:
We think it’s absolutely worth betting on the draw — especially at +320 odds. Florida is a scrappy bunch and we could see extra time needed to put them away for good. The Panthers have been taken to overtime seven times these playoffs, and amazingly won each time. The streak ends here, though, with Vegas winning in dramatic fashion. Bank on the possible outcome!
How To Bet On 2023 NHL Stanley Cup?
If we’re right about Vegas ending it on Tuesday, then Game 5 is your last chance to bet on the Stanley Cup — and NHL in general — for a long time. Why not seize the opportunity then? To do just that, hit one of the bookmakers below. All five sites you see are rated highly in our newest sportsbook reviews for their betting menu, which covers NHL in depth.
One more thing before you run off to bet: take a hard look at the lucrative sportsbook bonuses available from site to site. There are multiple available at any given bookmaker, with some paying out as much as $2500 in free play. Our favorite offers are marked in the table below. Pick one to wager on the NHL free of cost!
