Panthers vs Golden Knights Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 1 (Vegas Shines on Home Ice)

The 2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are winding down as the Stanley Cup Final is set to begin. The Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights are duking it out for the Stanley Cup this time with Game 1 set to be played on Saturday, June 3.

Panthers vs Golden Knights Game 1 Info

• Series: Tied 0-0
• Date: Saturday, June 3, 2023
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Venue: T-Mobile Arena -- Las Vegas, Nevada
• Coverage: TNT

The Panthers and Golden Knights collided only twice during the regular season due to their competing in opposite conferences. The two clubs split the series one game apiece as Vegas picked up a 4-2 victory at T-Mobile Arena in January before Florida got revenge with a 2-1 win at home two months later.

Panthers vs Golden Knights Odds & Spread

• All NHL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: FLA: (+108) | VGK: (-130)
• Spread: FLA: +1.5 (-225) | VGK: -1.5 (+184)
• Total: 5.5 -- Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)

The Golden Knights 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 favored at -115 odds.

Panthers vs Golden Knights Betting Trends

• Florida is 0-5 straight up (SU) in its last five road games against Vegas.
• Vegas is 9-3 SU in its last 12 home games.
• The total has hit the Under in each of Florida's last five road games.
• The total has hit the Over in 11 of Vegas' last 16 games as the favorite.

Panthers vs Golden Knights Prediction & Pick

These two clubs began the postseason at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Panthers are the scrappy underdogs who just squeaked into the playoffs as a wild-card team. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights finished atop the Western Conference and look to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

As great as the Panthers have been this postseason, winning in Sin City won't be easy. They've dropped each of their last five road games against the Golden Knights, losing all but one of those contests by a multi-goal margin. It's hard to imagine that changing with Vegas being 11-5 SU in its last 16 home games against the Eastern Conference.

The Panthers will push and test the opposition, but the Golden Knights are deep enough to withstand the storm. With the home-ice advantage and recent history on their side, I see the Golden Knights walking out with a victory and the 1-0 series lead.

Final Score Prediction: Golden Knights: 4 | Panthers: 2

Panthers vs Golden Knights Best Bet

When it comes to the best bet, I'm taking the Golden Knights winning outright at -130 odds. Again, the Panthers have never won in Las Vegas before, getting outscored 24-15 over five consecutive losses. The Golden Knights thrive in the rowdy T-Mobile Arena environment and will send the hometown crowd home happy.

Bet: Golden Knights to Win Outright (-130)

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.