It’s finally here! After one of the best regular seasons of all time, the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight after the NHL moved the start up a couple days! Tonight we have two games in the East. Let’s the start the playoffs hot!
Hurricanes vs. Islanders (5:00)
As I broke down in my preview blog of this series, I don’t expect this to be a great matchup. In no way do I think the Hurricanes are a fun team to watch, but they’re VERY good. especially defensively, and even though I hate them, they’re my pick to go to win the East and go to the Stanley Cup Finals and I think have a great chance to lift the Cup. For good reason they’re the favorites to win it at +650. I think there is so much parity in the playoffs this year with a bunch of teams that can win it, but I think they’re still worth betting, which I’ll take for 3 units. The Islanders have been terrible this year and just have been going on hot runs to even get to the playoffs. I don’t see them sustaining any type of success against Carolina. I expect this series to be over very quick, likely with the Canes winning it in five games, or maybe even sweeping this series. Obviously betting Carolina to win the series is expensive at -340. Can’t bet that. Instead what I’ll take here is 4 units on the Canes to win it in six games or less along with the exact results of the sweep for half a unit and five games for a unit. In Game 1, since I love the Canes to win this series, I obviously like them to win Game 1 at home. The price on this game is pretty expensive too at -230. I’ll take the Canes to win it in regulation for 2 units. It’s the playoffs, big boy bets.
Bruins vs. Maple Leafs (8:00)
In the Atlantic Division we have an awesome original six matchup for the first round with the #2 seed Bruins facing the #3 seed Maple Leafs as I broke down in depth in my series preview blog. I don’t think either of these teams can win the Cup and I’d expect them both to end up losing to the Panthers in the second round. That said, this is a very close series to me that I expect to be back and forth and go either six or seven games. I’ll lay the juice here at -188 and take the series to go over 5.5 games for three units. I think the superior defense leads to the Bruins winning this series and once again knocking off the Leafs, but at -125, I don’t think they’re worth betting on to win the series and I think the better move is to just play this one game by game. Tonight I like the B’s to win Game 1 at home and I’ll take them for half a unit.
Game Bets
2u Hurricanes in regulation (-125)
.5u Bruins ML (-130)
Series Bets
4u Hurricanes in six games or less (-155)
1u Hurricanes in five games (+300)
.5u Hurricanes in four games (+540)
3u Bruins/Maple Leafs over 5.5 games (-188)
Futures
4u Vegas Golden Knights – Stanley Cup Champions (+1000)
3u Carolina Hurricanes – Stanley Cup Champions (+650)
Regular Season Record: 599-527-12 (-95.22 units)
Round 1 Record: 0-0 (0 units)
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A Town's Zone 