The Vegas Golden Knights entered Game 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final after erasing a 2‑0 first‑period deficit to win Game 1 5‑4 in Raleigh. Tomas Hertl’s go‑ahead tally with 3:24 left completed the comeback, giving the Knights a 1‑0 series lead heading back to the Lenovo Center. Both clubs seek to extend or reverse that momentum.

Bookmakers list the Carolina Hurricanes as -161 favorites on the money line, while the Knights sit at +135. The over/under is set at 5.5 goals, a line the SportsLine Projection Model has flagged as attractive after the nine‑goal blockbuster in Game 1. The model, which has generated a +568 return on top picks, predicts the total will exceed 5.5 in 56.9% of its 10,000 simulations.

Betting advice from the model favors the over and points to the Hurricanes’ -1.5 puck line at +157 as the only value play. Projections give Vegas stars Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Mitch Marner 0.5 points each, while Carolina’s Shayne Gostisbehere and Sebastian Aho exceed that. The game will likely determine if the series stays tight or tips toward Vegas.