Panthers Betting Pick at Home to Level Series vs Bruins
So much for the Boston Bruins being a step behind against the well-rested Florida Panthers or having a letdown after edging rival Toronto in seven games yet again. Getting goals from unlikely sources and another brilliant effort from goalie Jeremy Swayman lifted Boston to a 5-1 win in Game 1 of the series with the Florida Panthers. Florida is favored by the NHL odds to even the series in Game 2.
Boston is 5-0 against Florida this season with three of those victories coming on the road. However, the Bruins led the 2023 playoff series versus Florida 3-1 only to fall in seven games so there is no reason for the Panthers to panic even after a 5-1 loss at home on Monday.
The NHL betting line has Florida priced at -175 to win Game 2 with Boston at +155 to win the game outright. With -170 odds for the Bruins to cover at +1½ on the puck line, there isn’t all that much confidence that the Panthers are going to roll to victory on Wednesday.
When looking at Stanley Cup odds, Florida is tied for fifth at +600 in the best odds to win the Stanley Cup. Boston isn’t far behind at +650 in the championship odds.
Bruins vs Panthers Game Information
- Game: Bruins 52-22-16 (26-10-9 on the road) vs Panthers 56-26-6 (29-12-1 at home).
- Date/Time: Wednesday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
- Bruins vs Panthers Live Stream: NHL.com
Bruins vs Panthers Odds And Spread
Carlo, Bruins Deliver Against Odds in Game 1
Brandon Carlo came into this year’s playoffs with no goals in his previous 36 postseason games. It is a pretty safe bet that he won’t soon forget his second goal of this year’s playoffs.
His wife gave birth to the couple’s son less than 24 hours before the Bruins opened the second-round series on the road. He arrived in Sunrise a couple of hours before the puck was dropped and capped a three-goal second period for the Bruins by scoring with 21 seconds left in the period.
“So proud of my wife she did amazing.”
Brandon Carlo takes @notthefakeSVP through a wild day after his son was born ❤️ pic.twitter.com/tPyYDqpxOz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 7, 2024
The first four goals for Boston were scored by Morgan Geekie, Mason Lohrei, Carlo and Justin Brazeau. That quartet came into the game with 11 career playoff goals.
Jake DeBrusk capped the scoring with an empty-net goal as Boston scored the final five goals after Matthew Tkachuk gave Florida the 1-0 lead midway through the second period.
Betting Roles Reversed in Rematch
Motivation was not an issue for the Bruins even after needing to go into overtime in Game 7 against Toronto and then flying to Florida for the next round.
The Bruins set the NHL record for the most points during the 2022-23 regular season before squandering a 3-1 series lead to a Florida team that sneaked into the playoff field. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the two Atlantic Division heavyweights would meet in the playoffs once again.
Florida was listed by the NHL spread as the underdog in each of the seven games in the 2023 playoff series, with the Panthers embracing the us-against-the-world mentality.
It is a different story this time around as the Panthers will be favored at home once again. The series won’t be over if Florida loses Game 2. However, that would mean that the Panthers would need to win at least three times in Boston to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second season in a row.
Notable Betting Trends: Bruins ATS Gold as Road Dogs
Florida had won its previous eight games as the favorite on home ice before the Game 1 loss to the Bruins. Boston is 8-0-2 outright and 10-0 against the puck line in its last 10 games as a road underdog.
Here are some numbers to consider for those who bet online:
- Eleven of the last 16 games between the Bruins and the Panthers went over the total.
- Florida is 49-22-2 as the favorite this season.
- The Bruins are 7-6-4 as the underdog.
- Boston is now 23-22 against the puck line on the road after the Game 1 win.
- Florida has covered in just 15 of 45 home games.
- Only 17 of the Panthers’ 45 home games landed over the total.
- The total has gone under in five of Boston’s last six games.
- Four of Florida’s last five games went over the Las Vegas NHL odds total.
What to Look for in Game 2: Panthers Need to Regain Home Edge
With Game 1 scoreless midway through the second period, those who rolled with the game to land under the 5½-goal total were feeling pretty good. However, Paul Maurice opted to pull goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with more than 5½ minutes to play to try to cut into Boston’s three-goal lead. The move backfired when Jake DeBrusk scored with 3:22 left. That also sent the game over the total.
Boston snapped Florida’s eight-game winning streak at home. The Bruins are 7-2 in its last nine road games.
Boston is scoring on 31% of its power plays and killing off nearly 83% of Florida’s man-advantage opportunities over the last 10 meetings.
It was a pretty tame series opener from a penalty standpoint with the teams going 0-for-5 on the power play. That could change in Game 2. Florida is just fine pushing the envelope after the whistle sounds and will look to get even more physical as the series moves along. Don’t be surprised to see the Panthers crowd the net and try to get red-hot Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman off his game.
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Bruins vs Panthers Prediction
Questions Of The Day
When is the last time the Bruins beat the Panthers in a playoff series?
Florida has won both series against the Bruins, winning in five games in 1996 and in seven games in 2023.
What are good player prop options for Game 2 of the Bruins-Panthers series?
Matthew Tkachuk has six goals and six assists in his last eight playoff games against the Bruins so keep an eye on the goals, points, and shots on goal props for the Florida forward. Jake DeBrusk is one of the streakiest players in the NHL so perhaps his Game 1 goal will get him rolling.
