The two favorites in the Eastern Conference will open the NHL season on Tuesday night.
The Carolina Hurricanes, just three months removed from winning the Stanley Cup, are a -128 favorite over the Florida Panthers, who are one year and three months removed from winning their second straight championship.
The Canes return largely the same roster for 2026-27, but change is afoot in Florida after the Cats endured a Murphy’s Law season and missed the playoffs.
Like the Panthers, the bookmakers have drawn a line through their performance last season. Florida is the favorite to win the Stanley Cup across the market.
We’ll see if they get off to a strong start.
Panthers vs. Hurricanes odds, prediction
Like a daytime soap, the story may change slightly, but the program remains the same in Raleigh. The Hurricanes will step onto the ice on Tuesday with a good chance to look very similar to the team that defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Rod Brind’Amour demands that his teams play a relentless, high-pressure style of hockey, and every skater on Carolina will know what’s expected of him from the drop of the puck.
It’s a different story for Florida.
While the Panthers will likely get in a groove and grow into one of the best teams in the league by season’s end, it could take some time to get there. The Cats have a brand new goaltending tandem, some new faces on the blueline, and Brady Tkachuk is now in town to play with his brother Matthew.
With a healthy Aleksander Barkov and one of the best supporting casts in the NHL, the Cats are likely to be a juggernaut. They just aren’t likely to look like it on Night 1, especially against this opponent.
Carolina has value as a slight favorite, and I like the price on Eric Robinson to find the back of the net.
Normally deployed in a bottom-six role, Robinson has been playing on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov throughout training camp. That’s a cushy spot for a player being offered at his price.
The Plays: Hurricanes moneyline (-128, FanDuel) | Eric Robinson to score 1+ goals (+475, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
