A pair of teams that have put themselves firmly in playoff contention, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins face off at TD Garden. New England Sports Network will air this Eastern Conference matchup, which gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 5.
Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins Odds
Carolina (+130) is entering this one as the underdog to Boston (-150), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals. The line for betting the total stands at -130 for the under and +110 for the over.
Netting moneyline bettors 1.3 units, the Bruins are 39-26 straight up (SU) overall in the 2018-19 season. That win percentage, the NHL’s fourth-strongest so far this season, hasn’t moved much from what the team managed during the 2017-18 season (50-32). Through 65 regular season matches, 38 of its games have gone under the total, while 24 have gone over and just three have pushed. The team is 24-10 SU at home this year.
Boston currently has the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as it’s converted on 26.8 percent of their extra-man chances this year. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 12th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.3 percent of all penalties.
Boston, as a collective unit, has been penalized 3.9 times per game overall this season, 4.0 per game over its past five outings total, and 4.4 per game over its last five at home. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays for 11.2 minutes per contest over its last five home games.
Sporting a .922 save percentage and 25.9 saves per game, Tuukka Rask (22-14-5) has been the principal option in goal for the Bruins this season. If they decide to rest him, however, the team may roll with Jaroslav Halak (17-15-15 record, .924 save percentage, 2.29 goals against average).
Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak will each look to continue their strong seasons for the Bruins. Marchand (76 points) has tallied 27 goals and 49 assists and has recorded multiple points in 23 different games this year. Pastrnak has 31 goals and 35 assists to his name and has recorded a point in 37 games.
Carolina has lost 4.3 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year and is currently 36-29 straight up (SU). A total of 37 of its outings have gone under the total, while 27 have gone over and just one has pushed. As a road team, Carolina is 18-15 SU.
Carolina has converted on 17.6 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked eighth overall and it’s successfully defended 81.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Carolina’s skaters have been penalized 3.6 times per game in total this season, 3.6 per game over their past five outings total, and 4.0 per game over their last five games as the visiting team. The team’s had to stave off opponent power plays 8.6 minutes per contest over their last five road games.
Petr Mrazek (24.2 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for Carolina. Mrazek owns a 16-15-3 record, while registering a .904 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average this year.
Sebastian Aho (27 goals, 46 assists) has been one of the primary facilitators on offense for the visiting Hurricanes.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins Betting Predictions
NHL Prediction: SU Winner – Hurricanes, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- The under has hit in each of Boston’s last five outings.
- This game features two clubs that shoot the puck early and often. Carolina has registered the league’s second-most shots on goal (34.8) while Boston has attempted the 10th-most (32.7).
- Power plays and penalty kills may be critical in tonight’s matchup. The Hurricanes are 13-15 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 24-22 when they’re in the box for fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Bruins are 20-14 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 25-18 in games where total penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Two of Boston’s past 10 contests have gone to a shootout. The team’s 1-1 in those games and 2-3 overall in shootouts this season.
- Boston skaters have averaged 11.2 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 9.1 takeaways per game (ranked 4th in the league).
- Carolina has scored 3.0 goals per game overall this year, but has raised that figure up to 4.4 per contest over their five-game winning streak.
- Carolina is ranked second in the league with 11.1 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward lately, as it’s created 13.4 takeaways over its last 10 games and 15.6 takeaways over its last five.