The first-round matchup between the Florida Panthers and the Washington Capitals heads back to Florida for Game 5 with the series tied 2-2 as we look at the moneyline, over/under, and player props for this game.
Florida Panthers (-225) vs Washington Capitals (+185)
The Panthers came in clutch with the goalie pulled at the end of Game 4 and won it in overtime. This has been possibly the closest series in terms of close games within the series. The offences still haven’t really gotten going, especially the highest-scoring team during the regular season.
Ilya Samsonov has stepped in and given the Capitals a real chance in this series after their goaltending was a big question heading into the postseason. The big guns for Florida, including Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, and Claude Giroux, have yet to really make a mark on this series offensively. Only two Panthers are currently at a point per game or better.
But since three of the first four games have hit the under, we are going to ride that again (U6.5, +100) until at least the Panthers prove they can score in the postseason as well. The odds are heavily in favour of the Panthers since they are the Presidents’ Trophy winner and at home, but the Capitals have had the series lead twice already. Look for them to have a bounce-back from that close defeat in Game 4.
Player Props
Sam Reinhart – Anytime Goal-Scorer (+180)
Sam Reinhart scored a huge goal for the Panthers with two minutes left in the game to tie it up 2-2, forcing overtime. Throughout the season, he has also scored big goals and had a very good season offensively. He is a key member of the power play where he scored 16 of his 33 goals this season.
So far this series, we have only seen him score the one goal I mentioned and add an assist. This is only Reinhart’s first taste of the playoffs, so it’s understandable that he needed a few games to adjust to the different style of hockey. Now it is about time he contributed more offensively in this series, and that big goal he scored will surely help. The Panthers are back at home, so expect them to get a bit more fired up with the crowd behind them.
T.J. Oshie – Anytime Goal-Scorer (+230)
T.J. Oshie continues to play very well in this series and has been on the scoresheet in three of the four games. He has also scored a goal in three of the four, which included the game-winner in Game 1. I’ve had him as a prop in the past two games and he hasn’t disappointed. Continue to bet on him until he shows any signs of slowing down. But since he has been a key contributor to the Capitals through four games, he should continue to perform.
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.
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