Today's Free Picks for

Posted at 8:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change
Chicago +230 over Florida Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
5:00 PM ET. OT included. The Panthers will raise another banner tonight, and that means another round of pomp, fireworks, family on the ice, and gold confetti. It also means distraction — and no team in sports history has ever been sharp while celebrating its own greatness. The emotional drain of two straight Stanley Cup runs is enormous, and the hangover that follows is real. Now the market wants us to spot an inflated price with the champs in their most disjointed moment of the season? Hard pass.
Florida’s roster is already a shell of the one that lifted the Cup four months ago. Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk — the engine and the edge of this operation — are both out long-term. Barkov’s knee injury robs the Cats of their best two-way presence and dressing-room compass. Tkachuk, meanwhile, is the emotional spark that drags this team into the fight. Without either, Florida’s forward depth looks exposed.
Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell will be asked to carry the load and Paul Maurice can talk all he wants about “next man up” — there isn’t one. That “next man” is just a warm body on a night when half the roster will still be posing for photos and kissing rings.
On the other side, Chicago arrives with no expectations, no pressure, and an emerging identity under Jeff Blashill. The Hawks are fast, young, and eager to play spoiler. Connor Bedard is a generational talent already commanding the puck like a ten-year vet, and the addition of Spencer Knight — making his return to the crease against his former team — adds another layer of motivation. Knight knows this building, this crowd, and the shooters across from him. He’s going to want this one badly, and so will his 'mates.
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Our Pick
Chicago +230 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 4.60)