Hurricanes vs Panthers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NHL Playoffs Game 3 (Carolina Bounces Back on the Road)

The 2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Monday, May 22 as the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers are set to play Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Hurricanes vs Panthers Game 3 Info

• Series: FLA leads 2-0
• Date: Monday, May 22, 2023
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: FLA Live Arena -- Sunrise, FL
• Coverage: TNT, CBC, SportsNet

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals was a lot like Game 1 in the fact that overtime was needed to determine a victor. The Panthers moved to an insane 6-0 in overtime this postseason thanks to another game-winning goal scored by Matthew Tkachuk. Florida now heads home with a 2-0 lead.

Hurricanes vs Panthers Odds & Spread

• All NHL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: CAR: (-104) | FLA: (-115)
• Spread: CAR: +1.5 (-260) | FLA: -1.5 (+210)
• Total: 5.5 -- Over: (-114) | Under: (-106)

The Panthers enter this contest as slight home favorites on the spread and moneyline per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 5.5 goals with the over favored at -114 odds. 

Hurricanes vs Panthers Betting Trends

• Carolina is 9-3 straught up in its last 12 games on a Sunday.
• Florida is 7-2 straight up in its last nine games against Carolina.
• The total has hit the over in five of Carolina's last six away games.
• The total has hit the under in five of Florida's last six games against Carolina.

Hurricanes vs Panthers Prediction & Pick

The Panthers simply find ways to win and so far in this series, they have leaned on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to emerge victorious. The 34-year-old dominated in Game 1 by stopping 63 of the 65 shots he faced and then replicated that success by stopping 37 of the 38 shots he faced in Game 2.

The Hurricanes may be facing an 0-2 hole, but it's worth pointing out that things could be going much worse. Carolina has outshot Florida by a 103-86 margin and has posted a better faceoff percentage (55.1%) through two contests. It just hasn't been able to figure out how to get past Bobrovsky in goal.

There's a lot to like about that changing on Monday. Florida have lost three of its five home games in the postseason and has allowed at least 4 goals in three of those five showdowns. The Hurricanes are 3-2 on the road in the playoffs and have scored at least 4 goals in three of those five contests.

Final Score Prediction: Hurricanes: 3 | Panthers: 2

Hurricanes vs Panthers Best Bet

Sam Bennett has not been afraid to test the opposing goaltender so far in this series considering he tallied 6 shots in Game 1 before he logged 4 shots in Game 2. The 26-year-old has now posted at least 3 shots on goal in 10 of the Panthers' 13 playoff games. Not only that, but Bennett has also racked up at least 3 shots on goal in all four of his matchups against Carolina this season. Florida head coach Paul Maurice has every reason in the world to keep leaning on what has been working.

Bet: Sam Bennett 3+ Shots on Goal (-140)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.