Wednesday’s Top AI Pick
- Game to Go to Overtime (+310) at Bet365
It’s put up or shut up time in the NHL Eastern Conference finals, as the Carolina Hurricanes must go 4-0 if they wish to be in the Stanley Cup Finals next week.
Check out what crazy +310 NHL betting pick we are going with for our computer prediction today.
The computer picks are hot right now, going 4-0 this week and 14-8 thus far during the playoffs.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 – 08:00 PM EDT at FLA Live Arena
Panthers Have One Shoe In
There have been a total of 204 situations in the NHL playoffs where a team has held a 3-0 series lead, and only 4 of those 204 overcame the deficit and won the next four games in a row.
It seems unlikely this matchup will be decided with four Carolina Hurricanes victories in a row, because Florida’s goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is playing out of his skin right now. It all but seems like the Florida Panthers have one shoe in the finals.
Unstoppable Goaltending
Bobrovsky may be putting together the best run of his NHL career, and what better time than now, as he is on the brink of his first Stanley Cup finals appearance in his 11-year NHL career.
- Bobrovsky has gone 4-0 in his previous four games, having a 97% save percentage and allowing 0.89 goals against.
- Allowed only 2.15 goals against in 13 playoff games to date.
- Bobrovsky allowed 3.07 goals per game during the regular season, which just so happened to be his 2nd worst regular season since becoming an NHL starter.
These are outstanding numbers. One would have to imagine if in a decline or a bad game here or there, he will eventually come good, and therefore, we simply don’t believe the Carolina Hurricanes have a chance of sweeping the next four games.
Carolina Hurricanes
- The Carolina Hurricanes are 1-4 in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida.
- Carolina are 2-7 ATS (-8.6 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
- The Hurricanes are 3-7 ATS (-9.0 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.
- Carolina are 2-8 in their last 10 games against Florida.
Florida Panthers
- 9 of 16 games in this series have gone under the total over the last 3 seasons (Under=+1.3 Units).
- The total has gone under in 5 of Florida’s last 5 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference.
- Florida are 10-1 in their last 11 games.
- The total has gone under in 6 of Florida’s last 7 games against Carolina.
Under Possibly Best Bet
Although the under is likely the best bet here, and our computer predicts so with just four goals expected, we don’t like the -120 juice on offer from the top sportsbooks.
Sooner or later, this series is going to produce six or more goals, and tonight could be the night. Bobrovsky has been outstanding, but he is due a down night, everybody is human and nobody can keep these impressive numbers up for too long.
We like the under here but would prefer to see odds closer to +100 for us to consider it a possible bet.
Overtime Bet Worth the Odds
These two teams have played out 2 overtimes in the first three games, and we expect more overtimes to come in this series. Last time out, there was no overtime needed following a 1-0 Florida win.
Our computer is predicting a 2-2 scoreline at the end of regulation, and looking at Bet365’s odds, +310 for the game to end in a tie at the end of regulation is a bet we are prepared to take.
The Panthers have seen overtime occur in 6 of their previous 11 playoff games this season whilst the Hurricanes have seen 5 of their 14 games head to overtime.
OddsTrader Predicted Score: Carolina Hurricanes 2 – Florida Panthers 2
NHL Pick: Game to Go to Overtime (+310) at Bet365
