Two teams that both played games last night, the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes face off at PNC Arena in an Eastern Conference tilt. This one gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 2 and it can be watched live on Fox SportsNet Florida.
Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes Odds
Carolina is 10-14 straight up (SU) and has lost 5.1 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage hasn’t moved much from the 36-46 record the team managed during last years regular season campaign. Of its 24 games this season, 13 have gone over the total, while nine have gone under and just one has pushed. The team is 5-7 SU at home this year.
The Hurricanes have converted on just 15.2 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a mark that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 26th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 77.0 percent of all penalties.
The Hurricanes, as a collective unit, have been penalized just 2.7 times per game overall this season, 2.8 per game over their past five matchups total, and 3.2 per game over their last five home outings. The teams had to defend opponent power plays for just 6.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings, in total.
With a .903 save percentage and 24.6 saves per game, Scott Darling (seven wins, 12 losses, and five OT losses) has been the primary option in goal for Carolina this year. Darling did just play last night, however, so the team could choose to give him the night off and go with Cam Ward instead (3-3-3 record, .907 save percentage, 3.03 goals against average).
Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Williams will each be focal points for the Hurricanes. Teravainen (21 points) has tallied eight goals and 13 assists and has recorded two or more points in six different games this year. Williams has five goals and 13 assists to his credit and has notched at least one point in 13 games.
Over on the other bench, Florida is 10-15 straight up (SU) and has lost 3.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 25 regular season contests, 13 of its games have gone over the total, while 11 have gone under and none have pushed. The Panthers are 5-8 SU as the road team this season.
The Panthers have converted on just 15.5 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that’s ranked 30th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 28th overall and it’s successfully killed off 75.6 percent of all penalties.
Florida’s players have been penalized 4.1 times per game in total this season, and 2.9 per game over their last ten contests. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays just 6.4 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Roberto Luongo (2.61 goals against average and .928 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for Florida. Luongo is averaging 33.1 saves per game and has six wins, eight losses, and one overtime loss to his credit.
Jonathan Huberdeau (eight goals, 17 assists) has been one of the most vital playmaking threats for the visiting Panthers.
Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Panthers, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The Panthers are 3-6 SU when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Hurricanes are 4-2 SU in games where they spend more time in the box than their opponent.
- Two of Carolina’s last ten games have ended in a shootout. The team is 1-1 in those games and 2-3 overall in shootouts this year.
- The total has gone over in three of Carolina’s last five games.
- Carolina is ranked 16th this season with 9.8 giveaways per game. That figure has trended upward recently, as the team’s averaged 12.9 giveaways over its last 10 games and 14.4 giveaways over its last five.
- Florida skaters have averaged 9.6 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 12.9 giveaways per game (ranked 29th overall).
