NHL betting preview (April 10): Red Wings vs. Panthers odds
Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Thursday’s NHL matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers.
Red Wings vs. Panthers Odds
- Red Wings Moneyline: +170
- Panthers Moneyline: -210
- Puck Line: Red Wings +1.5 (-150), Panthers -1.5 (+125)
- Game Total: 5.5 (Over -115, Under -105)
Game odds via Sports Interaction.
Handicapping the Red Wings (36-41 SU, 44-33 ATS, 36-35-6 O/U)
Detroit hasn’t officially been eliminated from playoff contention, but Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, who currently hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, makes it very difficult to envision a scenario where the Red Wings qualify for the postseason.
The Red Wings have just five games remaining, one more than the Canadiens, and all of their opponents are playoff teams: the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Detroit managed to defeat the Panthers in their last home game, but now they travel to Florida for a rematch, where the Panthers are 25-11-2. The Red Wings are just 15-18-4 on the road this season. Although they’ve won both meetings against Florida this year, they’ve gone 3-7 in their past 10 games against the Panthers overall.
According to Evolving Hockey, Detroit ranks 24th in expected goals and 22nd in shot attempts at five-on-five since Todd McLellan took over as head coach. In all situations, they rank just outside the bottom 10 in both goals for and goals against per 60 minutes. Their power play, once a key reason they stayed in the playoff hunt, has also cooled off.
This is the first half of a back-to-back for Detroit, which will face the Lightning on Friday. Goaltender Petr Mrazek is still listed as day-to-day, which likely means Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon will split the two games.
Handicapping the Panthers (45-33 SU, 34-44 ATS, 36-42-2 O/U)
Florida snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs to open a four-game homestand. The Panthers are three points behind the Lightning and six points back of the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division standings, while holding a four-point edge over the Ottawa Senators.
Captain Aleksander Barkov returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing three games with an injury, while defenseman Gustav Forsling and forward Sam Reinhart also returned after missing Sunday’s game against the Red Wings. At the same time, the team announced that forward Sam Bennett will miss the rest of the regular season with an upper-body injury. He’s expected to be ready for the playoffs, but it’s still a significant loss—Bennett had reached 50 points for the first time in his career. Forward Carter Verhaeghe will also be held out Thursday for a maintenance day.
According to Evolving Hockey, Florida ranks third in both expected goals and shot attempts at five-on-five since the start of March. Defensively, the Panthers are third in goals against per 60 minutes, but no team has scored fewer goals per 60 in all situations. Florida has scored three or more goals in just four of its last 14 games.
Sergei Bobrovsky appears to be rounding into playoff form. Since Feb. 1, he ranks fourth in goals saved above expected and has posted a 1.84 goals against average along with a .920 save percentage. He’s also been dominant against Detroit since joining the Panthers in 2019-20, going 13-2-1 with a 1.71 GAA and a .935 save percentage.
Best bet for Red Wings vs. Panthers
- Anton Lundell Over 2.5 Shots On Goal (+115) at Sports Interaction
Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Brad Marchand have clicked since being put together on a line. According to Natural Stat Trick, the trio has controlled 69 percent of the shot attempts and 66 percent of the expected goals in just over 27 minutes of ice time. Lundell is tied for the team lead in shots on goal with 32 over the last 10 games, and he’s registered at least three shots in six of his last eight, including four straight games with four or more.