The Capitals' 2022 Stanley Cup playoff run is about to begin, and it's hard to imagine a more difficult opponent than the one they'll face in the first round. 

In the Florida Panthers, the Caps will be tasked with beating a 58-win, 340-goal scoring, Presidents'-Trophy-winning juggernaut. Washington has the edge in playoff experience, but there's a reason why the Panthers are the top seed and the Caps are considered a long shot to win the series. 

Here's a look at how oddsmakers are viewing this series between the best home and road teams in the NHL this season, and how Washington's first-round odds compare around the league (odds provided by PointsBet Sportsbook). 

Capitals vs. Panthers odds: Series winner

The Panthers are heavy favorites to beat the Capitals in the first round, which isn't all that surprising considering their body of work during the regular season. 

Florida is -345 to win the series, while the Caps are going off at +260 to advance to the second round. Washington faces the third-longest odds in the NHL to win their first-round series and the longest odds in the Eastern Conference. The two teams considered bigger underdogs than the Caps are the Dallas Stars (+270 to beat Calgary) and the Predators (+450 to beat Colorado).

Considering this is the No. 1 vs. No. 8 seed matchup, the Caps having the longest odds in the East shouldn't be much of a shock. 

Capitals vs. Panthers odds: Series score

The Panthers have home ice in this series and the playoffs as a whole if they advance to the Stanley Cup Final, so they'll host the ever-pivotal Games 5 and 7 should this series reach that point. As of now, oddsmakers believe the most likely outcome for this series will be the Panthers winning in five games.

The Caps' best chance to win is in seven games, per PointsBet. The longer the series, the better for Washington based on these odds.

Panthers sweep: +500

Panthers in 5: +290

Panthers in 6: +350

Panthers in 7: +425

Capitals sweep: +3000

Capitals in 5: +1500

Capitals in 6: +850

Capitals in 7: +800

Capitals playoff odds: Futures

To win the East: +1800

To win the Stanley Cup: +4000

All first-round games of Capitals vs. Panthers will be available regionally on NBC Sports Washington and streamed live on the MyTeams app.