Florida Panthers vs Ottawa Senators Predictions

Injuries shape the moneyline

NHL.com reports that Akira Schmid is expected to start for Florida because Jacob Markstrom will miss one to two weeks with an upper-body injury. The Panthers are still slight -112 favorites, but Schmid's expected start makes that price difficult to back without current performance data.

Jake Sanderson is expected to return for Ottawa after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, while Thomas Chabot will miss one to two weeks with an upper-body injury. Sanderson's return gives Ottawa a reason for a slight home lean at -108, though Chabot's absence limits that advantage.

Betting outlook

Fade the Public Analytics reports that Florida received 58% of moneyline bets and 75% of moneyline money in its latest snapshot. Those figures describe bettor preference, not team strength, and don't provide a reason to pay the higher Panthers price.

Ottawa is the narrow winner pick because Sanderson is expected back while Florida is without Markstrom. However, Ottawa's starting goalie is not confirmed in the available reporting, and there are no current team statistics or recent results to support a wager. The betting lean is Pass.

The total is 5.5, with the over priced at -125 and the under at +105. Without current scoring, defensive or goalie performance data, neither side of the total is supported.