The Florida Panthers are on the doorstep of back-to-back NHL titles on the expense of each the Edmonton Oilers and a decades-long streak of Stanley Cup futility for Canada-based franchises. The groups meet Tuesday in Recreation 6 of the Stanley Cup Ultimate (8 p.m. ET), with the homestanding Panthers round a -150 betting favourite and the over/below for whole objectives scored set at 6.5.
The Panthers are on the cusp of turning into the primary back-to-back NHL champions for the reason that Tampa Bay Lightning achieved the feat in 2020 and 2021. They might develop into the nineteenth NHL membership to win a minimum of two consecutive championships in a sport that has seen a excessive variety of short-term runs of dominance by comparability to different main skilled sports activities leagues.
For instance, the NFL has seen solely 9 back-to-back Tremendous Bowl champions and just one franchise, the Pittsburgh Steelers, has achieved this milestone twice. The NFL notably has by no means had a three-peat champion, with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs memorably falling wanting that elusive landmark with their 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Tremendous Bowl LIX in February.
The Panthers, who lead the sequence 3-2, have outscored the Oilers 16-7 of their three victories and are coming off a 5-2 win in Recreation 5 wherein they surged to an early 2-0 and had been by no means threatened. Nevertheless, this does not essentially imply the sequence ending Tuesday night time is a foregone conclusion. Edmonton overcame a 3-0 highway Deficit in Recreation 2 to prevail 5-4 in additional time and likewise fought again from a 3-0 sequence deficit final 12 months earlier than ultimately shedding to the Panthers in Recreation 7. One other loss Tuesday would prolong Canada’s Stanley Cup winless streak to 32 years, relationship to the Canadiens’ championship in 1993.
Whereas the Stanley Cup Ultimate is the marquee attraction on the sporting panorama Tuesday, different choices embody a 15-game MLB slate and a six-game WNBA card.
Under is a snapshot of what to observe and guess for Tuesday, June 17:
NHL finest bets, recreation to observe on Tuesday
Oilers at Panthers, NHL Stanley Cup Ultimate Recreation 6, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- SportsLine mannequin decide: Oilers +130
- SportsLine professional decide: Panthers -146 (Matt Severance)
SportsLine’s top-rated NHL analyst, Matt Severance (+3566, 160-87-9, final 256 NHL picks), is backing the Panthers to clinch the championship Tuesday night time. He mentioned he merely believes the homestanding membership will play with the wanted urgency to shut out the sequence.
“I simply do not suppose the champs would blow an opportunity to clinch on dwelling ice and throw every thing open to a Recreation 7 again in Edmonton,” Severance wrote in his SportsLine evaluation.
Nevertheless, the SportsLine Projection Mannequin sees the worth on the underdog Oilers. The mannequin’s 10,000-game simulation suggests Edmonton wins this matchup a minimum of 48% of the time, a price place versus the sportsbook implied odds of a 43.5% win fee.
Extra NHL finest bets
MLB finest bets, recreation to observe on Tuesday
Guardians at Giants, 9:45 p.m. ET
- SportsLine mannequin decide: Giants -160 ML
- Participant prop decide: Robbie Ray over 6.5 strikeouts (Prop Bey Man)
The Giants have stumbled to losses in three of their previous 4 following a seven-game profitable streak. However after shedding two of three in a weekend sequence to the NL West rival Dodgers, the Giants return dwelling Tuesday amid the excitement surrounding the debut of Rafael Devers, who they acquired in a blockbuster weekend commerce with the Boston Pink Sox. The Giants have received three of the final 4 video games began by veteran lefty Robbie Ray (8-1, 2.55 ERA), who has yielded 4 mixed earned runs over his previous two begins. The Guardians want to snap a three-game skid following a weekend sweep by the hands of the Mariners by a mixed rating of 17-5.
The SportsLine Projection Mannequin is leaning towards the favored Giants (-160), whereas SportsLine professional Prop Guess Man is throughout Ray recording greater than 6.5 strikeouts. He notes that the Guardians have a 25% strikeout fee in opposition to lefties and he expects their woes to proceed in opposition to Ray, who has recoded seven or extra strikeouts 9 occasions this season.
Extra MLB finest bets
WNBA finest bets, recreation to observe on Tuesday
Solar at Fever 7 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
SportsLine’s WNBA analyst tandem of Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai say they’re prepared to put the thick level unfold with the Fever (5-5), sparked by the return on star Caitlin Clark. She scored 32 factors in a 10-2-88 victory over the New York Liberty on Saturday. The downtrodden Solar (2-8) have dropped three of their previous 4 whereas failing to attain greater than 67 factors in any of these losses.
Extra WNBA picks
Wanting forward
NBA Finals Recreation 6: Thunder at Pacers (8:30 p.m. ET Thursday)
There was minimal drama in Recreation 5 of the NBA Finals, with the homestanding Thunder pulling away for a 120-109 victory over the Pacers. Jalen Williams scored 40 and regular-season MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander, who can also be the front-runner for Finals MVP, scored 31 as Oklahoma Metropolis took benefit of 23 Indiana turnovers and transformed them into 32 factors. Now, the Thunder are one victory away from their first NBA championship, however they’re simply 5-4 on the highway within the playoffs and Gainbridge Fieldhouse is a tough highway atmosphere. The SportsLine Projection Mannequin sees worth on the Pacers +160 to win outright and drive a Recreation 7, whereas SportsLine professional Jason La Canfora is assured that Oklahoma Metropolis covers the 5.5=level unfold over what he views as a tiring and fading Pacers membership.
