Posted at 10:00 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle  -½ -103 BET365   -½ +105 Sportsinteraction   -½ +100 888Sport  -½ +105

Florida -½ +105 over Tampa Bay

12:37 PM EST. Regulation only. The Panthers find themselves in a much different role this playoffs than they did last, where they were a Wild Card team facing off against the regular season record-setting Bruins. You know what happened next, as the Cats would not only upset the B’s, but they would go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Prior to their run last season, the Panthers had run into a playoff wall, namely the Lightning, who had knocked Florida out in both 2022 and 2021, with the Bolts winning the Cup in ‘21.

That Stanley Cup pedigree has great influence here, as we’ve read time and again how Florida was “supposed” to have a weaker opponent after winning the Atlantic Division, but instead, they draw hated rival Tampa and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who owns a 50-27 record in the playoffs since 2020. The Bolts are loaded with Hall of Famers, and Nikita Kucherov leads the league with 144 points, including 100 assists. On paper, this series looks to be very even; however, the oddsmakers disagree and we’ve taken notice.

When a team that has had as much success as the Bolts have over the years, especially in the playoffs, is taking back a price like Tampa is today, it stands out. For some perspective, the Predators are a smaller underdog today in Vancouver than Tampa is in Florida, and the same can be said for the West’s other Wild Card team in Vegas, who are about +115 in Dallas.

A breakdown of X’s and O’s is not our forte, nor is it necessary here, as the oddsmakers have told us everything we need to know, pegging the Panthers to be the superior side here with this line telling the whole story. To the casual observer or the uninclined, the Bolts are going to be a very tempting wager, as the Cats went into a tailspin for the second half in which they won just five games across a 15-game stretch. However, Florida did finish the season strong with four straight wins, while the Lightning stumbled, going 1-2-1 over their last four games. If the Bolts are as strong as they are perceived to be by the market, so be it, but all signs point to the Panthers dictating the play and leaving Game 1 up in this series 1-0.

Sherwood

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