[h=1]2019 Stanley Cup playoffs: Tonight's best bets[/h]
ESPN PLUS ($ MATERIAL)
With the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs in full swing, there are plenty of betting opportunities every night. Our experts -- Emily Kaplan, Chris Peters, Ben Arledge and Greg Wyshynski -- will be here each day throughout the conference finals and Stanley Cup final, giving their best bets for the evening's games.
Today, they tackle a pick on the Hurricanes-Bruins series, as well as Game 1.
All odds from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unless otherwise listed. As always, shop around for the best price.
[h=2]Thursday's game[/h]
[h=2]Carolina Hurricanes (+135) at Boston Bruins (-155)[/h]Game 1 odds: Carolina (+135), Boston (-150)
Game 1 over/under: 5.5 goals
Wyshynski: The Hurricanes puck line has surprising value considering their rest and their playoff performance thus far. I'll take the puck line and a half with the expectation that Tuukka Rask vs. the Hurricanes is a tightly played contest, and to protect against a potential Game 1 upset.
Pick: Hurricanes +1.5 (-215)
Peters: At 5.5 for a Game 1, I'd <offer style="box-sizing: border-box;">pass. I just don't like Game 1 situations in general. There's too much volatility with teams feeling each other out, especially in a matchup like this one. The Bruins' first two Game 1's saw five goals scored in each. Carolina's Game 1 against Washington was a 4-2 loss and then they had a 1-0 OT win over the Islanders. An additional wrinkle is the uncertainty of the Hurricanes' goaltending situation. Whether it's Petr Mrazek coming off of injury or Curtis McElhinney, who's been red hot in relief, the lack of certainty makes me gun shy. If I were to lean one way, it's towards the under. But I'd rather see what we're working with in this series before putting some money behind that.
</offer>
Pick: Pass
[h=2]Series pick[/h]
Kaplan: I'm picking the Boston Bruins in seven games. A hot goaltender can carry you far, and 32-year-old Rask is playing some of the best hockey of his life right now. Over the last four games of the Blue Jackets series, Rask had a .955 save percentage at even strength. The Canes have the edge on the blue line, and for the Bruins, the loss of Charlie McAvoy for Game 1 (suspension) is significant. But can they overcome it? Brandon Carlo has emerged as a stud in these playoffs; he's the Bruins' No. 1 defenseman and will probably shoulder some big-time minutes. The Bruins should have an upper hand in special teams (their 28.6 percent power play is the best of any playoff team) and their top line -- reunited, finally -- is clicking in a way that's hard to contain. Plus, Boston has been able to find some secondary production in these playoffs, which alleviates some burden.
Arledge: I honestly think this series is a toss-up. Boston has more offensive firepower and a slight advantage in net, while Carolina has the defensive depth. But I lean Carolina over six or seven games, especially since the Hurricanes have gotten nearly a week of rest. Factor in the underdog series price (+130), and it's a worthwhile bet. The Hurricanes have only lost 17 of 55 since New Year's Day and everything seems to be clicking through two rounds. They've shown the ability to either win a tough Game 7 in overtime on the road or completely overwhelm their opponent in a four-game sweep. The one wild card here? Goalie Petr Mrazek's health. He claims to be "120 percent" following his Round 2 lower-body injury, so it shouldn't be an issue, but it's something to watch before the puck drops in Game 1.
Peters: It feels like everyone outside of Boston is kind of pulling for the Bunch of Jerks and Carolina has proven to be better than it was given credit for coming into the postseason. The Hurricanes are a pretty tempting series bet at +130. If you wanted to enhance your rooting interest in the lovable underdogs, I think they'd be worth a conservative bet. That said, the Bruins have the depth and the hot goaltending right now. That's a pretty deadly combination. Meanwhile, Brad Marchand has been uncontainable throughout the postseason. As long as he stays out of trouble and the Bruins' depth continues to assist in the offensive attack, Boston will be going back to the Stanley Cup final.
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</article>Wyshynski: The Bunch of Jerks are going to make this thing a fight to the end. They're the best possession team in the playoffs and every bit as good at 5-on-5 as the Bruins -- perhaps even a bit better, especially as they get healthier following the Islanders series. But Rask is having the playoffs of his life, with a .938 save percentage to lead the playoffs and 5.63 goals saved above average at 5-on-5. But the real advantage here is on special teams, as the Bruins' power play is the best in the playoffs at 28.6 percent and their penalty kill is fifth at 83.8 percent. The Hurricanes have four goals on 38 power play chances (10.5 percent) and a penalty kill at 75 percent. Bruins in seven.
ESPN PLUS ($ MATERIAL)
With the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs in full swing, there are plenty of betting opportunities every night. Our experts -- Emily Kaplan, Chris Peters, Ben Arledge and Greg Wyshynski -- will be here each day throughout the conference finals and Stanley Cup final, giving their best bets for the evening's games.
Today, they tackle a pick on the Hurricanes-Bruins series, as well as Game 1.
All odds from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unless otherwise listed. As always, shop around for the best price.
[h=2]Thursday's game[/h]
[h=2]Carolina Hurricanes (+135) at Boston Bruins (-155)[/h]Game 1 odds: Carolina (+135), Boston (-150)
Game 1 over/under: 5.5 goals
Wyshynski: The Hurricanes puck line has surprising value considering their rest and their playoff performance thus far. I'll take the puck line and a half with the expectation that Tuukka Rask vs. the Hurricanes is a tightly played contest, and to protect against a potential Game 1 upset.
Pick: Hurricanes +1.5 (-215)
Peters: At 5.5 for a Game 1, I'd <offer style="box-sizing: border-box;">pass. I just don't like Game 1 situations in general. There's too much volatility with teams feeling each other out, especially in a matchup like this one. The Bruins' first two Game 1's saw five goals scored in each. Carolina's Game 1 against Washington was a 4-2 loss and then they had a 1-0 OT win over the Islanders. An additional wrinkle is the uncertainty of the Hurricanes' goaltending situation. Whether it's Petr Mrazek coming off of injury or Curtis McElhinney, who's been red hot in relief, the lack of certainty makes me gun shy. If I were to lean one way, it's towards the under. But I'd rather see what we're working with in this series before putting some money behind that.
</offer>
Pick: Pass
[h=2]Series pick[/h]
</article>Wyshynski: The Bunch of Jerks are going to make this thing a fight to the end. They're the best possession team in the playoffs and every bit as good at 5-on-5 as the Bruins -- perhaps even a bit better, especially as they get healthier following the Islanders series. But Rask is having the playoffs of his life, with a .938 save percentage to lead the playoffs and 5.63 goals saved above average at 5-on-5. But the real advantage here is on special teams, as the Bruins' power play is the best in the playoffs at 28.6 percent and their penalty kill is fifth at 83.8 percent. The Hurricanes have four goals on 38 power play chances (10.5 percent) and a penalty kill at 75 percent. Bruins in seven.
