June 18 2024 Best Sports Betting Picks & Predictions for Stanley Cup Finals Game 5, MLB, WNBA

There is no cooler trophy in sports than the Stanley Cup, and the Florida Panthers hope to begin getting personal with the famous silver prize on Tuesday night. Of course, Lord Stanley might be wondering how there could be NHL hockey teams in Florida.

There is a full slate of baseball games to choose from on Tuesday. And if you want offense, we've got the team for you, and it's not the defending World Series champions. 

EDMONTON OILERS VS. FLORIDA PANTHERS: GAME 5

The Oilers looked dead after scoring just four goals while digging themselves a dreaded 3-0 deficit. Then it was like Wayne Gretzky in his prime, as Edmonton couldn't stop scoring in an 8-1 victory in Game 4 to stay alive.

Now the Oilers have momentum for the first time in this series, and Florida has some doubts. Of course, the Panthers are in great position to clinch their first NHL title, but losing that badly often has a carryover effect.

Connor McDavid broke out with four points, and even Leon Draisaitl had two assists for his first point of the series. Perhaps the most stunning thing was seeing top-notch Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky pull after allowing five goals on just 16 shots.

A look at the ledger shows the Panthers have twice lost by three or more goals this postseason and recovered both times for 6-1 victories. But after Game 4, you may see more scoring than what occurred in the first two games in Florida (eight total goals).

Over 5.5 goals, -105 (DraftKings)

NEW YORK METS AT TEXAS RANGERS

New York has matched its season best with six straight victories and has outscored opponents 45-16 during the span. Over the last two games, the Mets have rolled up 25 runs and 36 hits, and 'Polar Bear' Pete Alonso has knocked in eight runs.

New York annihilated Texas 14-2 in Monday's series opener and had 22 hits, its most since having 23 against the Atlanta Braves in August 2019. Francisco Lindor was 4-for-4, and Brandon Nimmo notched his fourth straight multihit outing.

Meanwhile, the 14 runs aren't even the most slumping Texas has allowed in the past week (15 vs. the Dodgers on June 11), so the Rangers will be asking Michael Lorenzen (1.46 ERA over his last six starts) to please keep them in the game. Texas has lost four straight and nine of 13 and doesn't resemble the team that won it all last fall.

Corey Seager and company have scored just nine runs in four games, so the Rangers are due for a breakout. But the Mets were hotter than lava the past two days, and they figure to get solid pitching from Luis Severino, who is unbeaten over his last eight starts.

Mets money line, -110 (DraftKings)

NEW YORK LIBERTY AT PHOENIX MERCURY

The Liberty have won eight straight games and have been clicking on all cylinders, while Phoenix has won four of its last six games after an uneven start.

Part of the Mercury's improvement lies in the return of Brittney Griner, who has scored at least 24 points in each of the past three games. She missed the first 10 games of the season with a fractured toe. Plus, offseason acquisition Kahleah Copper is thriving with a 24.0 scoring average and a league-best five 30-point outings.

Making New York more fearsome is that former league MVP Jonquel Jones is playing like, well, an MVP candidate. Jones poured in a career-high 34 points on 12-of-16 shooting in a 90-82 road victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday.

Having Jones in top form to team with Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu is a nice luxury. Phoenix figures to put up a fight, as it did in an 81-78 road loss at New York on May 29. The Liberty trio will be intent on keeping the winning streak intact.

Liberty: -5.5 spread, -110 (DraftKings)