Bruins vs. Hurricanes Odds & Picks: Betting Value on Boston
M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: Boston Bruins standout Brad Marchand.
- The Carolina Hurricanes host the Boston Bruins in Tuesday's NHL playoff action.
- The Hurricanes stormed out to a 2-0 lead, but the Bruins evened the series on home ice.
- Jacob McKenna breaks down the game below and gives his top betting pick.
Bruins vs. Hurricanes Odds
| Bruins Odds | +125 |
| Hurricanes Odds | -150 |
| Over/Under | 6 (+100 / -120) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins head back to North Carolina for Tuesday’s Game 5 showdown.
The Hurricanes managed to go up 2-0 in this series, but Boston recovered nicely when the matchup went up north and won both games on home ice to even things.
So, will home-ice advantage continue to be the trend and Carolina taking a 3-2 series lead or will Boston steal a victory on the road?
Boston Bruins
After giving up a combined 10 goals in the first two games, Boston cleaned things up on the defensive end of the ice in the next two meetings and proved why it has one of the best defenses in the postseason.
Through four playoff games, the Bruins rank No. 1 out of the 16 playoff teams in Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) in 5-on-5 situations, which helps explain their recently found home success.
Boston has done a good job keeping Carolina from getting many good looks in close as well, allowing just 8.13 High Danger Chances per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 situations. The Bruins have also put more shots on goal in each of the four games, proving they’ve been able to control both ends and found some holes in the Carolina defense.
Jeremy Swayman has been excellent for this team in net, so it’s likely we’ll see him here as well. Swayman was the starter in both of Boston's wins this series, saving 49 of the 53 shots he has faced. He now owns an SV% of .925 this postseason and should be a reliable option in all three periods.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have cooled off from their hot start in this series, but this is a team that finished the regular season in second place in the Eastern Conference with 116 points and proved they were one of the best franchises.
The scoring attack was arguably the best aspect for Carolina in the regular season and its ability to put pucks in the net has followed them to the playoffs.
In this series, Carolina has scored 10 total goals in 5-on-5 situations, which is tied for first with the highly potent Edmonton Oilers. However, the Hurricanes have generated just 1.85 Expected Goals For per 60 minutes in 5-on-5, which ranks last out of all postseason teams.
The recent offensive struggles are somewhat of a concern, but not out of the ordinary, considering how good the Boston defense has been.
Luckily, it appears that Carolina will start Antti Raanta in net, which could help keeping Boston of the scoreboard. Raanta has started two games and has a 1-1 record, with a SV% of .936 and 0.9 Goals Saved Above Expected this series.
Bruins vs. Hurricanes Pick
The away team has yet to win a game, but given the betting value on Boston, I think it’s wise to back the visitor to win this game and take the series lead.
As previously mentioned, Boston has outshot Carolina in every game so far, which is impressive when you consider how good the host’s offense has been this season. Boston is not necessarily known for its strong offensive attack, but it’s giving itself plenty of opportunities to score and I think that remains the case.
In addition, Carolina has proven it can't get much past Swayman, plus he and the Boston defense are capable of making that the case again. That said, I’m backing Boston on the moneyline and would play the underdog to +115 odds.
Pick: Boston ML (+130)
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