Hurricanes Favored to Advance
This is it. The two best words in sports: “Game Seven.” And, as the NHL odds would have it, the host Carolina Hurricanes are favored to prevail over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night. Home teams are unbeaten in this series at 6-0 and all six games were won by two or more goals, so puckline bettors have made quite the profit.
Let’s check the latest NHL lines, stats, injury reports and NHL odds for Bruins vs Hurricanes. We’ve plenty of NHL picks and predictions.
History on Boston’s Side
If you’re an NHL history buff, you would know that the Boston Bruins have owned the Carolina Hurricanes in the postseason. Boston has won four of the five series against the Hartford/Carolina franchise. However, the only time it went seven games was when Boston lost back in 2009. The Bruins have gone 6-5 in Game 7s since.
But this Bruins team has a long way to go improve that record. If this series is any indication, Boston could get run out of the building on Saturday. The Bruins have been outscored 15-4 in the three games played in Raleigh.
It’s not for lack of trying. Boston has played Carolina close on 5v5 and has generated more scoring chances. However, the team is shooting just 3.7 percent and the goaltending is down to 86.7 percent. Additionally, Boston’s special teams has been outscored by three. If the Bruins can’t find ways to improve on either end, the trend of home teams dominating will be worth betting online.
Metrics Against Hurricanes
It’s crazy to suggest that metrics are not looking good for the Carolina Hurricanes when the sportsbook is giving them a 54.2 percent chance of winning. Of the home teams that are favored, Carolina has the worst 5v5 metrics: the Hurricanes are getting out-chanced, out-possessed and they are a -1 in expected goal differential.
Fortunately for the Hurricanes, the metrics can shove it when they are blowing Boston out and averaging five goals a game at home. Antti Raanta deserves half of the credit as the netminder has allowed just two goals on the 74 shots he’s faced (97.3 save percentage).
Antti Raanta appreciation post
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 11, 2022
Special teams has also clicked for the Hurricanes. The team is firing at 23.5 percent on th e powerplay and 90.9 percent on the penalty kill. That is a stark improvement over 6.3 percent and 70.6 percent for Boston, respectively. Now would be a bad time to break the trend.
Bruins vs Hurricanes Head-to-Head
As the NHL lines predicted, this has been an even series that has led to this Game 7. Home teams have dominated so we have the Boston Bruins as the underdogs here, though not by much. Boston has only won one of its last five games in Carolina, however.
Bruins vs Hurricanes Game Information
- Game: Bruins (51-26-5) vs Hurricanes (54-20-8)
- Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh NC
- Day/Time: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
- Bruins vs Hurricanes Live stream: NHL.TV
Bruins vs Hurricanes Betting Lines
Bruins vs Hurricanes Prediction
Another look at the stats and we’re thinking a lot of it is based on “luck”. What if some of those bounces go the Boston Bruins’ way? If Boston’s scoring-chance shooting percentage went up by just a fraction, one of their losses could have been reversed. But we’re diving into too many hypotheticals here.
The Carolina Hurricanes are the ones converting their chances and stopping the Bruins. This isn’t entirely flukish as Carolina finished the regular season as a top-three team in scoring-chance shooting percentage while the Bruins were 25th and 30th in shooting percent. That’s what matters in the end.
Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -130
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