Panthers vs. Senators Prediction, NHL Odds & Best Bets (10/21)

Fact checked at 7:45 AM ET, Oct 21, 2026

Odds as of Oct 21, 7:43 AM ET

Florida and Ottawa meet at 12 points apiece in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers are 5-2-2 and have won three straight, most recently 8-3 at home against Seattle on Saturday. The Senators are 6-3-0, lost 3-1 in Philadelphia that same night and have had three days off since. Brady Tkachuk also plays his first game in Ottawa since the Senators traded him to Florida in June. Puck drop is 7:30 PM ET at Canadian Tire Centre.

Look past the standings and Florida has had the puck far more. The Panthers put 29.3 shots a game on net and allow 24.0, fourth-fewest in the league. Ottawa takes 23.1 a game, also fourth-fewest, and allows 26.2. Linus Ullmark has covered the gap: he's 6-1-0 with a .945 save percentage, well above his .915 career mark. In net, Ottawa has the edge tonight. Jacob Markstrom is out 10 to 14 days after taking a puck in practice, so Akira Schmid (.878 this season) is expected for Florida. Ottawa expects Jake Sanderson back after eight games out but is without Thomas Chabot for one to two weeks, and Radko Gudas is due back on Florida's blue line. Neither goalie is confirmed. With the moneyline at Panthers -112 and Senators -108 and the total at 5.5, picking a winner is a coin flip, so we're betting on the shot counts instead: Florida keeps the puck and shoots, and Ottawa gets few looks of its own.

Panthers vs. Senators Predictions

• Pick #1: Anton Lundell Over 1.5 Shots on Goal (-120)
• Pick #2: Dylan Cozens Under 2.5 Shots on Goal (-135)

PICK #1: Anton Lundell Over 1.5 Shots on Goal (-120)

Lundell has 25 shots in nine games, 2.78 a game, and he's reached two in six of them. That isn't a hot streak out of nowhere. Last season he got to two shots in 38 of his 64 games (59.4%) while averaging 2.16. At -120, the price implies 54.5%.

His line drives play. He centers Eetu Luostarinen and Sandis Vilmanis, the trio Florida skated together at Tuesday's practice, and the club says the Panthers have outchanced opponents 38-21 with that line on the ice at five-on-five, with a 64.92 expected-goals share. He also plays the second power-play unit and the first penalty kill, and his ice time has run from 14:51 to 20:43.

He is a third-line center, though. He had one shot in three of his nine games, including Saturday's 8-3 win over Seattle, and a big night for the top two lines can eat into his minutes. Sanderson's return gives Ottawa its top defenseman back too.

PICK #2: Dylan Cozens Under 2.5 Shots on Goal (-135)

Cozens has 18 shots in nine games, two a game, and he's stayed at two or fewer in six of them. Ottawa is averaging 23.1 shots, and tonight it gets a Florida team that allows only 24.0.

He centers the second line between Andre Burakovsky and Drake Batherson, plays the first power-play unit and has logged between 14:51 and 21:29. He shot more last season, 2.50 a game, and stayed at two or fewer in 47 of 82 games (57.3%). The -135 price implies 57.4%, about the same, so last season alone doesn't make this a bet. What does is his lower volume this season on a team that isn't generating shots, against an opponent that doesn't give up many.

The power play is the risk. Cozens is on the first unit, so a game with a lot of Florida penalties would give him extra chances. He's had three or more shots three times this season, including four against Boston on Oct. 5.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.