Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers Game 1 odds, picks and predictions
The Boston Bruins face the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference 2nd-round series on Monday. Puck drop from Amerant Bank Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Bruins vs. Panthers odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Boston snapped a 2-game losing streak with a 2-1 overtime win in Game 7 over Toronto to win its 1st-round series 4-3 and cover as a -131 home favorite. RW David Pastrnak scored the game-winning goal less than 2 minutes into OT as the Bruins avoided a series loss after being up 3-1.
Florida cruised through the 1st-round, taking down the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1. It finished the series with a 6-1 victory on Monday as a -176 home favorite. C Aleksander Barkov and C Carter Verhaeghe each scored 2 goals with an assist in the dominant victory.
Boston won all 4 regular-season meetings, 3 by 1 goal, and only 1 game had more than 5 goals totals (7).
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Bruins at Panthers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:59 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Bruins +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Panthers -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Bruins +1.5 (-190) | Panthers -1.5 (+155)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +105 | U: -125)
Bruins at Panthers projected goalies
Jeremy Swayman (25-10-8, 2.53 GAA, .916 SV%, 3 SO) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (36-17-4, 2.37 GAA, .915 SV%, 6 SO)
Swayman was the goalie in 6 of the 7 1st-round games for the Bruins and went 4-2. He allowed 9 goals in the series and had a 1.49 GAA and .950 SV%, both better than his season averages.
Bobrovsky was the only goalie to see action in the 1st round for the Panthers. He went 4-1 and allowed 14 goals with a 2.78 GAA and .896 SV%, both worse than his season averages.
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Bruins at Panthers picks and predictions
Prediction
Panthers 3, Bruins 1
Moneyline
PASS.
There is minimal value on Florida (-175) to win at home.
Puck line/Against the spread
BET PANTHERS -1.5 (+155).
In 5 of its last 8 games, Florida has won by 2 or more goals including each of its last 2 wins in the 1st round. It has scored 3 or more goals in each of its last 8 games and scored 5 or more goals in 2 of its last 3 while allowing 3 or fewer goals in 9 of its last 10. Boston has scored 2 or fewer goals in each of its last 3 games and in 6 of its last 9.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 5.5 (-125).
This series will feature 2 of the top goalies in the NHL and while Bobrovsky had a less-than-stellar 1st-round, this matchup with be a defensive battle. The Bruins have allowed 2 or fewer goals in each of their last 5 games and 7 of their last 9 while the Panthers have allowed 2 or fewer goals in 7 of their last 9 including 2 shutouts in that span.
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