Top Shelf Picks: Best NHL Bets and Props Today (Can Hurricanes Win Pivotal Game 3?)

Iain MacMillan | May 24, 2025

The Hurricanes are road underdogs to the Panthers in Game 3. / James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Florida Panthers are two wins away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year. After a hard fought seven-game series against the Maple Leafs, they've cruised past the Carolina Hurricanes through the first two games, winning by a combined score of 10-2.

Now, the series heads to Sunrise for Game 3, giving the Panthers a chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead on their home ice.

Let's dive into my best bets for this pivotal showdown on Saturday night.

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Game 3 Best Bets

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• Hurricanes (+124) vs. Panthers
• Hurricanes vs. Panthers UNDER 5.5 (-125)
• Matthew Tkachuk UNDER 2.5 Shots on Goal (-168)

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Prediction

Game 2 was one of the most lopsided games of the entire NHL Playoffs, but I'm not ready to lose hope in the Hurricanes quiet yet. This is a team that led the entire league in almost every advanced metric you could find this season, including expected goals percentage. They still have a positive expected goal differential of +0.55 goals per 60 minutes so far in this series.

Carolina needs to find a way to deal with the Panthers' aggressive attack, and that includes Frederik Andersen playing much better between the pipes. With that being said, it's important not to look too much into a sample size of two games. At +124, the Hurricanes are the side to back in Game 3.

Pick: Hurricanes +124

While the box score may not indicate it, both teams have played relatively strong defensive hockey. In fact, the combined expected goals so far this season is 4.35 goals per 60 minutes of play. They're also averaging just 18 combined high-danger scoring chances through the first two games.

While the final scores of the game, along with poor goaltending by the Hurricanes, may lead you to think the OVER is the bet to make at 5.5, I'd argue the opposite. If the scores start to reflect what we've seen so far from the underlying metrics, there's a chance we see the Hurricanes win a low-scoring contest in Game 3.

Pick: UNDER 5.5 (-125)

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Prop Bet

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have been cashing the UNDER on Matthew Tkachuk's shots total all postseason long, and it's already hit in both of the first two games this series. He's averaging just 1.36 shots on goal per game in the playoffs, yet the sportsbooks continue to refuse to lower his shots total. If they're going to continue to set the number at 2.5, I'm going to continue to bet the UNDER.

Pick: Matthew Tkachuk UNDER 2.5 Shots on Goal (-168)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!