2 Best NHL Bets and Player Props for Panthers vs. Hurricanes in Game 2

Even with the Stanley Cup Playoffs now underway, we still have plenty of betting options for the NHL.

On top of your typical moneylines and totals, we can also dabble in the player prop market for things such as shots and goal-scorers.

Which bets stand out across today's playoff action?

Let's dig in and lay out the best bets based on FanDuel Sportsbook's NHL betting odds.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

Today's Best Stanley Cup Playoff Bets

Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes Moneyline (-128)

The Carolina Hurricanes suffered a decisive loss in the series opener against the Florida Panthers. The Metropolitan Division representatives dropped a 5-2 decision to the defending Stanley Cup champions. However, that loss isn’t a reflection of the Hurricanes’ effort, setting Thursday’s game as an ideal bounce-back spot.

For years, the Hurricanes have been a dominant analytics team, and that’s captured in their playoff performances. So far this postseason, Carolina has accumulated a 53.9% expected goals-for rating, a benchmark the Canes have risen over their recent sample. They’ve outplayed their opponents in five of their last seven, generating a 59.7% eGF rating. Game 1’s 55.1% rating against the Panthers is included in that sample.

Moreover, Florida’s offense continues to overheat, pointing toward inevitable regression. They continued to tilt that balance toward the unsustainable end of the spectrum in the series opener. The Panthers recorded three goals at five-on-five, double their expected total of 1.5. That brings their six-game total up to 19, significantly ahead of the expected benchmark of 14.2. As expected, that correlates with an oversaturated 12.8% shooting percentage and 1.053 PDO.

The Panthers can’t continue to get outplayed and expect to win games. At the current prices, we see an advantage in backing the Hurricanes to stop to Florida’s unsustainable pace.

Sebastian Aho Any Time Goal Scorer (+200)

Sebastian Aho has cemented his place as the Hurricanes’ offensive catalyst. The Finnish center led the team in scoring throughout the regular season and has 11 points in 11 playoff games. Aho found the back of the net in the series opener, and there’s value in backing him to do so again in Game 2.

Analytically, few players can keep pace with Aho. Across all strengths, the Hurricanes forward has a robust 65.9% Corsi and 64.9% expected goals-for ratings. Implicit in the latter, Aho has been a driving force in terms of production. So far this postseason, he’s averaging 13.5 scoring and 5.1 high-danger chances per game. Further, Aho continues to get a healthy 57.6% of his zone starts in the attacking end.

More importantly, Aho is capitalizing on those chances. So far, he’s been on the ice for 18 goals, chipping in on 11, but has fallen marginally below his expected rate. Moreover, he’s been held to one goal over his last six games, a stretch that includes 14 shots on target. That tepid stretch puts him significantly below his season-long shooting percentage of 14.0% and even further off his career average of 15.1%.

Altogether, Aho is an ideal progression candidate to benefit from some puck luck over the coming games. He’s fallen off the pace in terms of expected production, and his shooting percentage has dipped below the normal range. With that, we’re betting on Aho to drive scoring in the short term. In reconciling his analytics profile with the betting prices, we see an edge in backing Aho as an anytime goal scorer on Thursday night.

You can also check out our latest 2025 NHL Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

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