Bruins Odds: Respect Real For B’s In First-Round Series Vs. Hurricanes
Boston and Carolina is a coin flip in Vegas
Despite not having home-ice advantage, the Boston Bruins are receiving plenty of respect from oddsmakers for their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Conventional wisdom would tell you that after being outscored 16-1 by the 'Canes in three regular-season meetings and having to play a potential seventh game in Raleigh, the Bruins would be decently sized underdogs to advance to the next round.
Think again.
Circa Sports in Las Vegas opened the series price at a pick 'em (-110 each way) and hasn't budged.
"Boston is a really good hockey team," Circa Sports assistant sportsbook manager Jeff Davis told NESN. "They're extremely responsible defensively and have proven playoff finishers in (Patrice) Bergeron, (Brad) Marchand and (David) Pastrnak. They get tougher to play over a best-of-seven series, too."
Carolina's top goalie Frederik Andersen is out for Game 1 and his status is truly unknown for the rest of the series. Andersen ranked second in goals allowed (2.17 GAA) and fourth in save percentage (.922) this season, but he's been sidelined since April 16th with a lower-body injury.
Bruins series prices vs. Hurricanes
+105 Caesars ($100 wins $105)
+102 FanDuel
+100 BetMGM
+100 FOX Bet
+100 PointsBet
+100 SuperBook
-105 DraftKings
-105 WynnBET
-110 Circa Sports ($110 wins $100)
Always be shopping around to get the best prices for your bets. That 15-cent disparity might not seem so major, but every cent counts in this racket in the long run. Professional bettors would never, ever lay -110 when they could take +105. Laying any juice when there are plus prices available is basically a cardinal sin.
I'm not sure how deep the Bruins can go this postseason, but I do respect the respect that oddsmakers have put on the Black and Gold this series. The price speaks volumes and given the Boston's clear advantage between the pipes with Antti Raanta for Carolina starting until further notice, I believe it's worth a bet at +105.
And I really don't care about the lopsided regular-season meetings -- Tuukka Rask allowed five goals in one of the losses -- because the B's are playing much better hockey than they were in January and February.
Bruins +105 to win series
RECORD: (112-106, +33.8)
