The Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins are ready to battle at TD Garden in Game 1 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals. The game gets going at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 9, and fans at home can catch the game live on NBC Sports Network.
Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins Odds
Carolina (+130) is entering this one as the underdog to Boston (-150), and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The odds for betting that total sit at -135 for the under and +115 for the over.
Earning 3.4 units for moneyline bettors, Boston is 57-38 straight up (SU) overall this year. That win percentage, second-strongest in the league so far this season, hasn’t moved much from what the team produced during last year’s regular season (50-32). Of the team’s 95 regular season contests, 52 have gone under the total, while 39 have gone over and just four have pushed. The team’s 33-15 SU at home this year.
Following a regular season where they converted 26.2 percent of all power-play chances (the third-best), the Bruins have connected on 28.6 percent of their power plays in the postseason. Their penalty kill has gone from 80.4 percent in the regular season to 83.8 percent in the playoffs.
The Bruins’ offensive skaters attempted 33.1 shots per game in the regular season, leading to 3.1 goals per contest (ranked 11th overall in the NHL). In the postseason, the team’s up to an average of 35.7 shots on goal ( 3.1 goals per game).
With a .919 save percentage and 26.2 saves per game, Tuukka Rask (35-24-6) has been the primary goalkeeper for Boston this year. If Boston chooses to rest him, however, it might roll with Jaroslav Halak (22-18-18 record, .922 save percentage, 2.34 goals against average).
On the other bench, Carolina is 54-39 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 3.2 units this year. Through 93 regular season matches, 50 of its games have gone under the total, while 41 have gone over and just two have pushed. The Hurricanes are 25-22 SU as the road team this season.
The Hurricanes have converted on 16.8 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked eighth overall and it’s successfully killed off 80.7 percent of all opponent power plays.
Petr Mrazek (.914 save percentage and 2.36 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Carolina. Mrazek is averaging 24.9 saves per game and owns a 29-20-4 record.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Bruins, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- The under has hit in four of Boston’s last five outings.
- This game features two teams that shoot the puck early and often. Carolina has attempted the league’s most shots on goal (34.0) while Boston has attempted the ninth-most (33.1).
- Five of Carolina’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 4-1 in those games.
- Carolina skaters have accounted for the seventh-most hits in the league (26.6 per game).
