Panthers Face Stanley Cup Favorite in Fourth Straight Series

• The Las Vegas Golden Knights are -135 favorites to win the 2023 Stanley Cup against the Florida Panthers.
• The Panthers have been an underdog in 13 of their 16 playoff games in 2023 and have won nine straight in this position.
• Even though the Knights are the favorite, Sergei Bobrovsky (+200) and Matthew Tkachuk (+250) have the shortest Conn Smythe odds.

LAS VEGAS – The Vegas Golden Knights are slight Stanley Cup betting favorites to beat the Florida Panthers. Florida is no stranger to the underdog role, as they faced the Stanley Cup favorite in every round of this postseason.

Favored to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Vegas has -135 moneyline odds to win on home ice.

2023 Stanley Cup Game 1 Odds

• Vegas Golden Knights -135
• Florida Panthers +105

The Knights and the Panthers both took Game 1 in two of the three series they have played in this postseason. During the regular season, they split their games played as well, both winning once on home ice.

While online gambling and these trends favor Vegas in Game 1, the Panthers have been the most dominant team in these playoffs, especially when they are labeled as the underdog.

Florida has been an underdog in 13 of their 16 total games played in these playoffs. In those games, the Panthers have won 10 total games and nine straight.

Florida has not just been a hot underdog team in the postseason but won the last four regular season games they played as underdogs. This consisted of knocking off the top of the Atlantic Division, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning twice, along with the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Inconsistent Conn Smythe Odds?

Even though Vegas is favored to win the Stanley Cup over Florida, online NHL gambling sites have two Florida Panthers players as the favorites to win the Conn Smythe trophy.

2023 Conn Smythe Trophy Odds

• Sergei Bobrovsky +200
• Matthew Tkachuk +250
• Jack Eichel +375
• Jonathan Marchessault +500
• William Karlsson +600
• Adin Hill +1200
• Mark Stone +1200

While it is possible for one of these players to win the award but for the Panthers to lose the Cup, it is not common. In the history of the Stanley Cup, only five players have won the award from the losing side, with the last taking place in 2003.

If looking to bet on a player from Vegas to win the Conn Smythe, Adin Hill’s stats make him one to watch. The Golden Knights’ goalie has been playing lights out, with a 7-3 2023 postseason record and a .937 save percentage.