Hello and welcome, everyone, to the Stanley Cup Finals on this Monday, June 9th, 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 series is all knotted up at a game apiece, and now the series shifts south to Florida for this pivotal Game 3! The Oilers have been the overall better team so far this series, but the Panthers are built like a dynasty ready to punch back! Check out my best bet for tonight to find out where I am putting my money and enjoy the game!

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NHL Stanley Cup Final Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 6/9

Panthers vs. Oilers Predictions, Game 3

This one is going to be fought tooth and nail, just as predicted, and we saw that in the opening 2 games north of the border, as we now move to South Florida for Game 3, all knotted up at 1-1! Both games featured an overtime result, and with the margins the way they are, I can hardly say I am surprised, and I wouldn’t bet against the idea that they’ll need more than 60 minutes tonight. 

The teams have been neck and neck analytically this series so far, at least according to expected goals and Corsi metrics. At even strength of 5 on 5 play in Game 2, the Oilers edged out the Panthers with an expected goal number of 3.54 to 3.17, but those numbers are razor thin. This tells me a few things: special teams are the great definer of this matchup, and the goalies didn’t play as well in Game 2 after a great showing in Game 1. It's worth noting as well that the Oilers have had 10 powerplay chances and the Panthers have only had 6, and those sorts of numbers have a way of balancing out, which could be bad for the Oilers as their penalty killing unit has been very bad this postseason. 

The numbers are just too close to pick a winner, though, so instead I will exercise my wager of the game on the game total tonight. The Panthers on home ice are stingy and have allowed just 16 total goals in 7 games this postseason. The Oilers' shot volume of 40+ goals per game is also unlikely to continue, so I will be taking the under in this game, while not the sexy pick, the one that is best backed by the numbers.  

Pick: Oilers & Panthers Under 6.5 (-120 on Caesars)

 

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