Panthers vs Hurricanes Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NHL Playoffs Game 2 (Carolina Exacts Revenge After Marathon)

The 2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Saturday, May 20 as the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are set to play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Panthers vs Hurricanes Game 2 Info

• Series: FLA leads 1-0
• Date: Saturday, May 20, 2023
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Venue: PNC Arena -- Raleigh, North Carolina
• Coverage: TNT, CBC, SportsNet

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals was a marathon, needing four overtime periods to solve things. The Panthers came out on the right side of the sixth-longest game in NHL history as Matthew Tkachuck scored at 19:47 into the fourth extra frame to give his team the 3-2 victory and the 1-0 series lead.

Panthers vs Hurricanes Odds & Spread

• All NHL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: FLA: (+126) | CAR: (-152)
• Spread: FLA: +1.5 (-200) | CAR: -1.5 (+164)
• Total: 5.5 -- Over: (-122) | Under: (+100)

The Hurricanes enter this contest as 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 being favored at -122 odds. 

Panthers vs Hurricanes Betting Trends

• Florida is 7-0 straight up (SU) in its last seven road games.
• Carolina is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games.
• The total has hit the under in four of Florida's last five road games against Carolina.
• The total has hit the under in seven of Carolina's last nine games against the Atlantic Division.

Panthers vs Hurricanes Prediction & Pick

Even though the Hurricanes lost Game 1, there's nothing to be ashamed about. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was a brick wall, stopping 63 of the 65 shots he faced. Carolina still finished with more shots (65-60), a better faceoff percentage (54.5%), and even went 2-of-6 (33.3%) on the man advantage, whereas Florida failed to score on three power-play opportunities.

In other words, as long as the Hurricanes stick to what worked in Game 1, they have a good chance to even the series. It also helps that they've yet to lose back-to-back games so far in the playoffs while boasting a 33-15 SU record at PNC Arena this season. Although the Panthers have been dominant on the road lately, all good things must come to an end.

Back the 'Canes to get things back on track to avoid heading to Florida with an 0-2 deficit.

Final Score Prediction: Hurricanes: 4 | Panthers: 2

Panthers vs Hurricanes Best Bet

I'm taking the total going over 5.5 goals as the best Game 2 bet. There's a good chance that the Panthers and Hurricanes will be tired after playing nearly 140 minutes of hockey Thursday night. With less time than usual to recover, I won't be shocked if there are more mistakes when it comes to defense and goaltending Saturday night.

After combining for five goals in Game 1, expecting at least one more in Game 2 isn't too much of an ask given the circumstances.

Bet: Over 5.5 Goals (-122)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. 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.