Will Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final be a defensive game? | Cavaliers hire Kenny Atkinson as coach, per report

Good afternoon, sports fans.

There may not be two more beautiful words in the English language than Game 7, and that's a scenario that we get to witness tonight. The NHL season will end tonight with either the Edmonton Oilers or the Florida Panthers skating around with the Stanley Cup. After falling behind 3-0 in the series, the Oilers have roared back outscoring the Panthers 18-5 in the last three games to knot the series. Florida is the home team, but Edmonton does have a ton of momentum. Should the Oilers win, they would join the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs as only other team in NHL history to pull off the "reverse sweep" in the championship round. Consider this a sneak preview for the type of expert analysis and insight you will receive as a SportsLine subscriber.

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All times Eastern |Game odds via SportsLineconsensus

CAVALIERS HIRE KENNY ATKINSON AS HEAD COACH, PER REPORT

The Cleveland Cavaliers have landed their next head coach to lead the franchise. According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Cavaliers have hired Kenny Atkinson as the team's next head coach. Atkinson has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. Prior to that, Atkinson served as the Brooklyn Nets head coach from 2016 to 2020 before being fired from that post. Atkinson will replace J.B. Bickerstaff, who was fired by the team last month. CBS Sports NBA writer Sam Quinn has more on how the Atkinson hiring came to be in Cleveland.

• Quinn: "Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who had taken a step back from active leadership with the team in recent years, was reportedly heavily involved in the decision to hire Atkinson. The former Nets coach received an important endorsement from Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, according toMarc Stein . Gilbert is a Michigan State alum and tried to hire Izzo himself in 2010, so his word holds quite a bit of sway in Cleveland."

Stanley Cup Final -- Game 7: Oilers at Panthers, 8 p.m. | TV: ABC

• The Pick: Under 5.5 (-155)
• Key trend: 17 of the 18 Stanley Cup Final Game 7s in NHL history have resulted in fewer than six goals.

SportsLine expert Griffin Carroll is 11-6 in his last 17 NHL over/under picks.

• Carroll: "Game 7 unders have been a tried and true betting method for us all postseason, and that will remain the approach for tonight despite the heavy juice. Game 7s bring about the most from teams defensively as you'll see more blocked shots. In addition, there's more patient offenses that are waiting for the right opportunity rather than putting a low-quality shot on net that could lead to an odd-man rush the other way. Dating back to 1942, there have been 17 Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Final. Only once have they exceeded this number."

Here's what else SportsLine is saying about the game:The Projection Model has a "B" pick on the moneyline, while having "C" picks on the total and spread.Get one week of picks from SportsLine completely free with the promo codeNEWSLETTER*.Sign up here to get started!

Rangers at Brewers, 8:10 p.m. | TV: MLB.TV

• The Projection: Over 8 (-114)| Grade: B -- Moderate

SportsLine's Projection Model has a "B" grade on the total with "C" grades for the spread and moneyline for the contest. The over is 4-0 in the Brewers' last four games, so we'll back that trend to continue in this spot.

SportsLine expert picks:Our staff has combed through the Monday night MLB slate and offered their best plays as the season continues.Get one week of picks from SportsLine completely free with the promo code NEWSLETTER*.Sign up here to get started!

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