Hello and welcome, everyone, to the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday, June 4th, 2025, betting edition! Wagering on the Cup games is always bittersweet as it’s the pinnacle of the sport, but it means the season is coming to an end, and what a great year it was for me betting on hockey. 

The Oilers will start the series with home ice advantage tonight as they look to redeem themselves after last season's series loss that ended up going 7 games and was an instant classic. Rematches don’t happen often in the NHL Stanley Cup finals, so this is going to be a fun one to watch. Check out my wager for this Game 1 below and enjoy the game, everyone, I know I will!

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NHL Stanley Cup Finals Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 6/4

Panthers vs. Oilers Predictions, Game 1

Oh snap, here we go again! The Panthers and Oilers both once again have proven they are the class of their conferences, and now, for the first time since 2010, we have a Stanley Cup Finals rematch! In past matchups of rematches, the teams split the wins, dating back to the last 4 times, so maybe history repeats itself again? I do know this much: we're in for an epic series and one that will be a legacy-defining championship for both teams!

Let’s get down to business, though, as the storylines could go on forever, and I know you all want to wager on this Game 1 matchup! Both goalies come into the series playing very well, while Sergei Bobrovsky’s play is not surprising to anyone, the emergence of Stuart Skinner in the Western Conference Finals was something to behold. Over 17 games, Bobrovsky has saved 8.5 goals above expected and holds a GAA of 2.02 overall. Skinner is a little bit behind that mark at 2.53 GAA, but his 2.8 goals saved above expected is improving as well. 

On the offensive side, it's not surprising that the Oilers are scoring 4.06 goals per game, led by McDavid and his 26 total points this postseason, and the Panthers are just behind them with 3.88 goals per game. The offenses are good, and so are the goaltenders, but something has got to give!

I am of the opinion that this first game is going to be about setting the tempo for the rest of the series, and these teams will not be shy in trying to implement their game plans, as both are very confident in doing so. I like the over on the game total for this reason, as we could see penalties and odd man rushes given the talent on both sides and elite finishing forwards. It’s currently sitting at 6 goals on many sportsbooks, so I am going to take that and run with it for Game 1 and see what we can learn moving forward in the series as far as player prop markets to come. 

Pick: Panthers & Oilers Over 6 Goals (-120 on Caesars)

 

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