The Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins battle in Game 5 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinals series Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The puck will drop at 4 p.m. ET. We analyze the Hurricanes-Bruins NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Hurricanes vs. Bruins: Projected starting goalies
Petr Mrazak vs. Jaroslav Halak
Coach Rod Brind’Amour turned to James Reimer for Game 4, and it looked like a tremendous move. The Hurricanes held a 2-0 lead heading into the third period, but that’s when Reimer and Carolina fell apart. The B’s ripped off four unanswered goals against Reimer, and now the ‘Canes are on the brink of elimination. Mrazek is likely to be back in the crease. He is 0-2 with a 2.59 goals against average and .923 save percentage in his two appearances so far, so Mrazek hasn’t been too bad.
Halak had a couple of mental check-outs in Monday’s win, but he hung on for his second consecutive win in the series since Tuukka Rask bolted the bubble for Finland. Halak made just 16 saves on 19 shots, but the offense bailed him out in the third period. However, he’ll need to tighten up if the B’s are going to oust the young Hurricanes.
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Hurricanes vs. Bruins: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 7:40 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Hurricanes 3, Bruins 2
Moneyline (ML)
We’re going to find out a lot about the HURRICANES (+120) in this one, and they’re going to show everyone why they’ll be a regular playoff team for a while. This team doesn’t quit, and it has a ton of young talent with a bright future. The Bruins (-143) are going to win this series, but the ‘Canes will not go quietly into the night, overcoming a difficult meltdown in the final stanza last time out. If you’re not feeling the ‘Canes, look to the 3-way line for a Bruins (+115) win after regular time to save a little juice.
New to sports betting? A winning $10 bet on the Hurricanes returns a net profit of $12, while the Bruins fetch a profit of $6.99 if they turn are victorious.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The Hurricanes (+1.5, -250) are too expensive, as you have to risk more than two times your potential return. In addition, this will be a super close game, so there is no way you can back the Bruins (-1.5, +200), no matter how tempting they look.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 5.5 (-150) on the alternate line is the way to go here. I don’t like flat-five lines, and this game should have exactly five goals. In fact, betting FIVE TOTAL GOALS in regular time pays +425, so that’s mighty attractive.
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