Saturday’s game between the Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers arrives with both clubs fresh off losses in their last outings. The Panthers won the first meeting of the season between these teams and will try to complete a season sweep in front of their home crowd. Before these teams face off for the final time during the regular season, my Jets vs Panthers prediction can be found right here.
Our Jets vs Panthers Pick
Panthers moneyline
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Winnipeg Jets vs Florida Panthers
Date & Time: Saturday, January 31, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form: Florida has lost two straight games coming into this contest and their defense has let them down over that stretch. The Panthers have given up nine goals in the last two games and they will try to tighten up on defense here. Winnipeg has dropped three of its last four games and is tied for the fewest points in the Central Division so far this season.
Goaltending: Connor Hellebuyck is back and has already faced Florida once since returning, stopping 19 shots in the shootout loss. He has a 2.71 GAA for the season and is a quality netminder despite some of his struggles this year. Florida is set to go with Sergei Bobrovsky, who has 20 wins and a 3.08 GAA going into this matchup.
Key skaters: Winnipeg’s offensive engine remains Mark Scheifele, who is up to 64 points on 26 goals and 38 assists. Florida’s top line continues to run through Sam Reinhart and his 27 goals and 52 points, while Carter Verhaeghe is also a quality weapon. Matthew Tkachuk logged his first point of the season in the first Winnipeg game after returning from adductor surgery.
Head-to-head: Florida won 2-1 in a shootout over the Jets on January 22. The most recent meeting was tight, with chance share nearly even, and the goalies were largely in control of that game.
Betting Trends & H2H
The Panthers are 1-0 against the Jets so far this season and the under hit in that first meeting of the year.
Florida is 19-34 on the puckline going into this contest.
The Jets are 25-27 in the puckline market entering Saturday's play.
Jets vs Panthers Model Projection
Score Projection: Winnipeg 2 – Florida 3
Win Probability: Winnipeg 41%, Florida 59%
Final Thoughts
The Panthers should be able to grab a win at home over the Jets in this contest. Winnipeg is 9-15-2 on the road this year. And while the two-time defending champs have not looked consistently great again this season, they should be able to do enough to win this one and snap their two-game losing streak against a team they already defeated once this season.
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