The Florida Panthers are in bad shape in the Stanley Cup Final. They don’t want to make that impossible by losing on Thursday night.
The Panthers trail the Vegas Golden Knights 2-0 in the Championship Series. Teams up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final are 48-5 when it comes to closing the series.
And by now, we all know the story of teams trailing 3-0 in best-of-seven series in all sports.
The Panthers hope to avoid this treacherous hole and keep the Stanley Cup Finals alive with a victory in Game 3. The Panthers are a -120 favorite at BetMGM. However, it’s unclear what will happen next in the series.
The Panthers have proven themselves capable, and they don’t care about a deep hole in a series. They came back from 3-1 to the top-seeded Boston Bruins in the first round. But the Golden Knights looked really good taking a 2-0 lead, at least in the last four periods.
Game 1 was competitive for two periods. Vegas opened a 2-2 tie and won 5-2 but it was a close game. Game 2 was not close. Vegas destroyed the Panthers in a 7-2 victory. The Golden Knights dominated the game from start to finish.
This may be good news for those who want to support the Panthers. It’s a good team that has just been embarrassed. They’re going home for Game 3. And they’ve got all the urgency. A loss doesn’t end their season, but we all know the chances of a comeback from a 3-0 deficit.
It was supposed to be a fun and competitive Stanley Cup Final. It could still turn into that. But that depends on what happens Thursday night.
Here’s a first look at the sports betting slate for Thursday:
Reds try to stay warm in MLB
The Cincinnati Reds have life. They picked up a second straight win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night. New rookie Elly De La Cruz, who made her debut this week, already looks like one of baseball’s most exciting players. He hits a 458-foot home runhis first in the majors, Wednesday.
The Reds are a +185 underdog on Thursday and it’s hard to see them sweeping the Dodgers, but De La Cruz gave them a spark. Maybe it lasts a few weeks.
Rest of MLB
There are 12 total MLB games on Thursday, including six in the afternoon. That includes a Chicago White Sox-New York Yankees doubleheader, with a makeup game from Wednesday night postponed due to air quality. The Yankees are -175 favorites in the first game and -135 in the second.
What is the best bet?
Let’s go with the Panthers. Taking the desperate team in a tied series will never be a bad idea, and add the fact that the Panthers are embarrassed. If nothing else, you’ll probably get the best effort the Panthers have to offer on Thursday night.