[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.
All odds from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unless otherwise listed. As always, shop around for the best price.
[h=2]Tuesday's game[/h]
[h=2]Boston Bruins (-700) at Carolina Hurricanes (+500)[/h]Game 3 odds: Bruins (Even), Hurricanes (-110)
Game 3 over/under: 5.5 goals
Peters: Although the Hurricanes have not inspired much confidence in their first two games against the Bruins, they have not lost this postseason on home ice. They've been a lot stingier at home too, allowing just seven goals in five games at PNC Arena. We still don't know which of the two goaltenders is going to start for Carolina. Petr Mrazek has looked a little shaky since returning from injury, and Curtis McElhinney is 3-0 with a .947 save percentage in his three appearances this postseason.
While I expect a better effort from the Canes in this one, I can't get past the way the Bruins have been able to get contributions from everywhere. Nineteen players have scored for Boston in these playoffs. Meanwhile, Tuukka Rask looks about as locked in as I've ever seen him. <offer style="box-sizing: border-box;">The lack of certainty in goal makes me want to pass on the Over/Under, but I'm expecting a lower-scoring affair in Game 3 as the Hurricanes make the necessary adjustments to slow down, but not stop, the Bruins' offensive attack.
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Pick: Bruins +105 and Under (Bruins ML has moved to Even)
Wyshynski: Throughout the postseason, the Hurricanes had been a different team in Raleigh in front of their playoff-starved fans. They've won seven in a row at home with an average margin of victory of 2.85 goals. Now, that would seem to be evidence that the puck line would be the play here, and be our guest if you want to take that +250 swing. We'll play it a little more conservatively and lay it on the money line with the Canes at home, where they average 3.22 goals per game and 2.46 goals against.
Pick: Hurricanes -110
[h=2]Eastern Conference series picks[/h]
Kaplan: I'm picking the Boston Bruins in seven games. A hot goaltender can carry you far, and 32-year-old Tuukka Rask is playing some of the best hockey of his life right now. In 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 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 before Game 1), and it's a worthwhile bet. The Hurricanes have lost only 17 of 55 since New Year's Day, and everything seems to be clicking through two rounds. They've shown the ability to 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 seems like everyone outside of Boston is 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 (before Game 1). 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.
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. Plus, 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.
[h=2]Western Conference series picks[/h]
Kaplan: Both teams are resilient, and both have been battle-tested. This shapes up to be a great series. While Martin Jones has turned his postseason around, I trust Jordan Binnington, despite being a rookie, to be the more consistent goalie. In the first four games of the playoffs, Jones had an .838 save percentage, was pulled twice and allowed six goals in the first two minutes of a period. I fear he has the capacity to regress to that, especially if the Blues can sustain pressure like they did against Dallas in Game 7. Stars goalie Ben Bishop was under siege, facing 52 shots, which included St. Louis' outshooting Dallas 31-4 in the last two periods of regulation. The Blues have a super-talented top line, and their third line (featuring playoff X factor Pat Maroon, a physical presence with a knack for big moments) is clicking. Play "Gloria"! I'm taking the Blues in seven.
Arledge: The Blues were the hottest team in the NHL after the All-Star Break, and they turned that momentum into big series wins over the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars. Now I think they'll take down the favored Sharks. The Blues run four lines deep, with three really good ones, and the defense has at least one offensive catalyst on each pairing. Oh, and goalie Jordan Binnington has been an absolute revelation, rolling out a .930 even-strength save percentage through two rounds after making a plausible rookie-of-the-year case with a 1.89 goals-against average in 32 regular-season games. St. Louis generates plenty of shot opportunities, especially when the game is on the line -- its 52.6 Corsi Close percentage is third among all 16 playoff teams -- and can't be counted out of any contest after securing two of its eight postseason wins by coming back from a third-period deficit. The Sharks will be the Blues' toughest opponents yet, but I like St. Louis to pay out as the underdog series winner.
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</article>Wyshynski: <greg.wyshynski@espn.com style="box-sizing: border-box;"></greg.wyshynski@espn.com>It has been remarkable to watch these two teams rise through the conference bracket because they both hit that "different hero every night" motif that championship teams possess. The Blues have seen players such as Jaden Schwartz, David Perron, Alex Pietrangelo, Vladimir Tarasenko and Pat Maroon come through in the clutch in different games. Same thing with the Sharks: One night it's Tomas Hertl, another it's Logan Couture, another it's Erik Karlsson. Heck, Barclay Goodrow and Joonas Donskoi have series-clinching goals. It has been fun.
This series comes down to two main factors: Which forecheck will exert its will on the other, and can the Sharks get enough pucks past rookie sensation Jordan Binnington to make up for the ones the Blues will get past Martin Jones? (This is no knock on Jones, who has been there when they needed him, but Binnington has been stellar.) I like the Sharks here, with home ice and some cosmic good fortune already in these playoffs, to take it in seven.
Peters: After getting Joe Pavelski back from injury, and with Martin Jones seemingly playing his best hockey of the season, the Sharks look loaded for bear heading into the Western Conference finals. The Blues have played excellent hockey throughout the playoffs, and Jordan Binnington has been unfazed by any of the glitz and glam of his first postseason. But there's something about this Sharks squad. As Greg noted, they're getting contributions throughout the lineup. Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson look like their usual, super-productive selves, with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Ultimately, it's Jones' return to form that has inspired more confidence in the men in teal for me. I think the Blues are going to push them, but the Sharks have the goods to go back to the Cup Final this year.
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.
All odds from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unless otherwise listed. As always, shop around for the best price.
[h=2]Tuesday's game[/h]
[h=2]Boston Bruins (-700) at Carolina Hurricanes (+500)[/h]Game 3 odds: Bruins (Even), Hurricanes (-110)
Game 3 over/under: 5.5 goals
Peters: Although the Hurricanes have not inspired much confidence in their first two games against the Bruins, they have not lost this postseason on home ice. They've been a lot stingier at home too, allowing just seven goals in five games at PNC Arena. We still don't know which of the two goaltenders is going to start for Carolina. Petr Mrazek has looked a little shaky since returning from injury, and Curtis McElhinney is 3-0 with a .947 save percentage in his three appearances this postseason.
While I expect a better effort from the Canes in this one, I can't get past the way the Bruins have been able to get contributions from everywhere. Nineteen players have scored for Boston in these playoffs. Meanwhile, Tuukka Rask looks about as locked in as I've ever seen him. <offer style="box-sizing: border-box;">The lack of certainty in goal makes me want to pass on the Over/Under, but I'm expecting a lower-scoring affair in Game 3 as the Hurricanes make the necessary adjustments to slow down, but not stop, the Bruins' offensive attack.
</offer>
Pick: Bruins +105 and Under (Bruins ML has moved to Even)
Wyshynski: Throughout the postseason, the Hurricanes had been a different team in Raleigh in front of their playoff-starved fans. They've won seven in a row at home with an average margin of victory of 2.85 goals. Now, that would seem to be evidence that the puck line would be the play here, and be our guest if you want to take that +250 swing. We'll play it a little more conservatively and lay it on the money line with the Canes at home, where they average 3.22 goals per game and 2.46 goals against.
Pick: Hurricanes -110
[h=2]Eastern Conference series picks[/h]
[h=2]Western Conference series picks[/h]
</article>Wyshynski: <greg.wyshynski@espn.com style="box-sizing: border-box;"></greg.wyshynski@espn.com>It has been remarkable to watch these two teams rise through the conference bracket because they both hit that "different hero every night" motif that championship teams possess. The Blues have seen players such as Jaden Schwartz, David Perron, Alex Pietrangelo, Vladimir Tarasenko and Pat Maroon come through in the clutch in different games. Same thing with the Sharks: One night it's Tomas Hertl, another it's Logan Couture, another it's Erik Karlsson. Heck, Barclay Goodrow and Joonas Donskoi have series-clinching goals. It has been fun.
This series comes down to two main factors: Which forecheck will exert its will on the other, and can the Sharks get enough pucks past rookie sensation Jordan Binnington to make up for the ones the Blues will get past Martin Jones? (This is no knock on Jones, who has been there when they needed him, but Binnington has been stellar.) I like the Sharks here, with home ice and some cosmic good fortune already in these playoffs, to take it in seven.
