Florida Panthers vs Ottawa Senators Prediction, Preview and Odds - 10/21/2026

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Venue:  Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Panthers -112, Senators -108; Over/Under:  5.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Panthers -110, Senators -110; Over/Under:  5.5 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Panthers -110, Senators -110; Over/Under:  5.5 goals

Florida Panthers:  5-2-2 (4th place, Atlantic Division)

Ottawa Senators:  6-3-0 (3rd place, Atlantic Division)

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Florida Panthers:  5-2-2 last 9

Ottawa Senators:  6-3-0 last 9

The Panthers are entering this game with 12 points, a 5-2-2 record overall, and they are 3-1-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Seattle Kraken in their last game, winning that one at home 8-3. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett each led the team in goals scored with 3 as they both recorded the hattrick while Niko Mikkola and Sam Reinhart each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Matthew Tkachuk led the team in assists with 3 while Brady Tkachuk led the team in shots on net in that game with 7. Jacob Markström was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 23 shots with 20 saves and a .870 save percentage. Their offense has scored 30 goals this season averaging 3.3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 25 goals against them allowing 2.8 goals per game.

The Senators are entering this game with 12 points, a 6-3-0 record overall, and they are 3-1-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Philadelphia Flyers in their last game, losing that one on the road 3-1. Drake Batherson scored 1 goal for them in that one. Claude Giroux and Tim Stützle each led the team in assists with 1 while Drake Batherson, Stephen Halliday, and Warren Foegele each led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Linus Ullmark was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 27 shots with 25 saves and a .926 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 24 goals this season averaging 2.7 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 23 goals against them allowing 2.6 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Panthers listed as a slight favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Panthers have looked good in their games this season with their 5-2-2 record overall which has them in the top half of their division in the East. They haven't been a bad road team either with their 3-1-2 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Senators have looked good in their games this season with their 6-3-0 record overall which has them in the top half of their division in the East. They have looked good on home ice too with their 3-1-0 home record this season. The Senators have had a hot start to the season, but lately they haven't looked great. They are coming off a bad 3-1 loss to the Flyers who have been one of the worst teams in the NHL to start this season and their offense hasn't looked that great either, not scoring a ton of goals. The Panthers didn't have the best start to the season, but lately they have been rolling in their games with some momentum on their side. They are coming off an 8-3 win over the Kraken in their last one and their offense has been rolling, scoring a ton of goals. The Panthers have looked a lot better than the Senators have looked lately and the Panthers have the stronger offense to lean on here. This is also the return of Brady Tkachuk to Ottawa, so he is going to be motivated to put on a show and the Panthers will rally around him. The best way to place a bet here is on the Panthers to win this game. 

Panthers Senators Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Wednesday, October 21, 2026 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Panthers 5 Senators 3.

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Florida Panthers: 25-18 (+2.1 units) on the moneyline when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 19-12 (+6.3 units) on the moneyline against good defensive teams - opponents average 26.5 shots on goal or less. 22-11 OVER on the road when the money line is -100 to -150. 25-16 OVER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 

Ottawa Senators: 39-43 (-5.4 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a winning record. 50-53 (-9.2 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 14-23 (-7.8 units) on the moneyline versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 0.5+ goals/game. 18-9 OVER after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game.

Florida Panthers:  R. Gudas (D) Out - Undisclosed. B. Marchand (LW) Out - Leg. A. Barkov (C) Out - Lower Body. J. Gadjovich (LW) Out - Upper-body.

Ottawa Senators:  T. Chabot (D) Out - Undisclosed. W. Eklund (LW) Out - Ankle. K. MacDermid (LW) Out - Upper-body.

“The speed of our offensive game is coming together. Now, you’re starting to see some chemistry form with different players. I liked the pace we played at.” - Paul Maurice after his team’s win against the Kraken in their game on Saturday. 

"I think we had a slow start out of the gate. Obviously two penalty kills (in the first period) that we liked. I thought certain parts of the game in the second and third we were good. But give them credit, they were a desperate team that obviously needed a win bad. They deserve it." - Drake Batherson after their loss against the Flyers in their game on Saturday. 

LW Brady Tkachuk

C Sam Bennett

RW Matthew Tkachuk

LD Gustav Forsling

RD Aaron Ekblad

G Akira Schmid

LW Warren Foegele

C Tim Stutzle

RW Claude Giroux

LD Jake Sanderson

RD Artyom Zub

G Linus Ullmark

Points: Matthew Tkachuk (14)

Goals: Brady Tkachuk (6)

Assists: Matthew Tkachuk (11)

GAA: Jacob Markstrom (2.21)

Points: Tim Stutzle (12)

Goals: Tim Stutzle (5)

Assists: Tim Stutzle (7)

GAA: Linus Ullmark (1.33)

Coaches:

Florida Panthers: Paul Maurice (5th season)

Ottawa Senators: Travis Green (3rd season)