The Florida Panthers are not fully prepared for the start of the 2025-26 NHL season. With superstar injury cases and the distraction of a crazy end to the preseason, you might think that the Panthers' long-term betting line to three-peat as Stanley Cup champions would look brighter than their game odds.
Las Vegas has other ideas. Bookmakers have made Florida into a 1-to-3 favorite to beat the visiting Chicago Blackhawks in Tuesday's season opener inside Amerant Bank Arena at 5 p.m. EST.
The Florida Panthers are missing star forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov.
Spread
- Panthers -1.5 (-102)
- Blackhawks +1.5 (-106)
Money line
- Panthers -270
- Blackhawks +245
Total
- Over 5.5 (-111)
- Under 5.5 (-101)
Note: The above data was collected on Oct. 7, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Florida Panthers vs Chicago Blackhawks Betting Trends
- The Panthers have won 11 of their last 16 games against the Blackhawks.
- Totals have gone over in four of the last five Florida-Chicago contests.
- Chicago has covered ATS in five of the last six meetings.
Florida Panthers vs Chicago Blackhawks Injury Reports
Florida Panthers
- Center Anton Lundell is day-to-day with an upper body injury.
- Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
- Center Aleksander Barkov is out until 2026 with a knee injury.
- Left winger Tomas Nosek is out until December with a knee injury.
- Right winger Matthew Tkachuk is out until December with a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia injury.
Chicago Blackhawks
- Defenseman Alex Vlasic is day-to-day with a lower body injury.
- Left winger Landon Slaggert is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
- Defenseman Shea Weber is out until 2026 with an ankle injury.
- Goalkeeper Laurent Brossoit is out until 2026 with a hip injury.
Florida Panthers vs Chicago Blackhawks Predictions and Picks
So much for the NHL preseason as a forgettable, sleepy skate. The Panthers and Lightning were having a lopsided preseason game last weekend, in which Florida built on a 3-0 first intermission lead by pumping too many shots past Tampa's iconic goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy … at least in the Bolts' eyes. The Lightning and host Panthers had a brawl worthy of the classic Norris Division, combining for an unfathomable 16 ejections and 312 penalty minutes. Comic relief occurred when Florida's defenseman Niko Mikkola remained on the ice after being ejected, creating a goal that was disallowed by the surly refs.
Florida eventually beat Tampa Bay 7-0. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks lost three games in a row to end their preseason. Without offseason moves to bolster Connor Bedard's currently losing team, the Daily Herald writer John Dietz has already been moved to lump the 2025-26 Blackhawks in with some dicey company: “the White Sox, Bears and Blackhawks — a terrible trifecta that (resides) in the same city.”
Look for the Panthers to take a period or two to get going, while the youthful Blackhawks make enough hay to preserve a tight score. A likely dominant third period makes Florida an interesting live bet ATS.
