From a betting standpoint, the Florida Panthers have an advantage over the Oilers in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup opening on Wednesday in Edmonton, according to a cursory review of the injury report.

It is impossible to overestimate Zach Hyman's season-ending wrist injury.  A first-line player with 50 goals (54 in 2023–24, down to 27 this past season) is just irreplaceable.  Hyman scored two goals and provided one assist in his final game, which was Game 3 of the Western Conference final against the Dallas Stars, which the Oilers won 6-1.

Prior to his injury early in Game 4, Hyman had 111 hits, which put him atop the playoffs.

Nobody can be certain of the injuries that guys on both clubs are dealing with, but if you look at the Panthers' lineup, you won't find any players with Hyman's level of skill out for the long haul.  Connor McDavid returned to the ice on Monday after leaving Sunday's practice early.

Favorites for Oilers betting

Wednesday's Stanley Cup rematch between the Oilers and Panthers begins with Game 1 at 8 p.m. EST.  Last year, the Panthers won the Cup in seven games.

The home team is well favored by gamblers there, according to Play Alberta.  On Play Alberta, 54% of futures wagers are on the Oilers to win by a wide margin.

McDavid has a 19% chance of winning the Conn Smythe award for Most Valuable Player in the playoffs.  Among the most popular prop bets are Edmonton to win in six games (+550), Leon Draisaitl to lead the series with goals (+275), and Over 0.5 hat tricks in the series (+150).

The Panthers are at +110 and the Oilers are at -130 for Game 1 (46% of bets, 52% of handle), according to BetMGM.  Panthers +1.5 (-225, 34% bets, 40% handle) and Oilers -1.5 (+180, 66% of bets, 60% of handle) are the current spreads.

“BetMGM is pulling for the Panthers in a Stanley Cup Finals rematch. The Oilers have been a losing result for us all season, and we hope anyone besides Connor McDavid or Sergei Bobrovsky wins the Conn Smyth trophy,” said BetMGM Senior Sports Trader Matthew Rasp.

Bobrovsky, the Man Who Makes a Difference

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is another reason the team may have an advantage in the series due to Hyman's injury.  In 17 playoff games thus far, Bobrovsky, 36, has a 12-5-0 record, a 2.11 goals against average, and a.912 save percentage.

In his fifteenth NHL season, Bobrovsky has won a Stanley Cup and two Vezina Trophies.  Stuart Skinner, the goalie for the Oilers, is infamous for his erratic play.  The series might be skewed by one game in which Skinner doesn't play at his best.

A well-liked prop for McDavid to score the first goal

The most bet props at BetMGM are McDavid to score a goal (+150) and McDavid to score the series' first goal (+1000).

The fact that every Oiler forward has scored a goal thus far in the playoffs is evidence of the management's successful retooling of the team's bottom six forwards, which was spearheaded by players like Corey Perry, Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, Jeff Skinner, and Adam Henrique. Both clubs retooled for another Cup run.

Brad Marchand and Seth Jones were acquired by the Panthers in a major trade deadline swing.  With an average of 16:22 each night, four goals, 14 points, and a +11 so far across 17 postseason games, Marchand in particular has been all the Panthers could have hoped for.  For a third-line winger, not awful.

How Do Bettors Feel About DraftKings?

North American DraftKings bettors are supporting the Oilers, with support in Ontario being considerably more pronounced.  Edmonton accounts for 65% of all bets and 78% of the total handle on DraftKings' North American platform.  In Ontario, the Oilers account for 69% of wagers and 83% of handling.  The Florida Panthers only account for 31% of wagers and 17% of handle.

The Oilers are -120 and the Panthers are +100 in the most recent DraftKings series odds, which are almost a tie.

Game 1 betting at ESPN BET has the Oilers at -1.5 with 40.8% of bets and 85.2% of handle, followed by the Panthers ML +110 with 42% of bets and 56.3% of handle, and Over 6.5 with 53.9% of bets and 70.1% of handle.

At OLG, 80% of PROLINE players have the Oilers on the Puckline -1.5, 56% are taking the Over at 6.5, and 67% are betting on the Oilers to win Game 1.