NHL Playoffs Best Bets: Boston Bruins Betting Picks for Round 1 on DraftKings Sportsbook

With the regular season all wrapped up and playoff seeding set, it’s time for the best time of the year — the Stanley Cup playoffs. Of course, the Boston Bruins are front-runners to win it all, sitting at +330 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Their first postseason opponent is the Florida Panthers, the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winner and squad that went 12-6-2 in its final 20 games to secure a playoff spot.

There’s a catch here, however. Not many times can you say that the No. 1 seeded team was a whopping 43 points ahead of its No. 8 seeded opponent, but that is the case here. The Bruins have all the tools to make this a quick four-game series, so let’s dive right into the best series bets and props for this very lopsided first-round matchup.

The Presidents’ Trophy curse may be a real thing but it won’t hit the Bruins in the first round. Despite going 2-2 against the Panthers in the regular season, it’s playoff time and there’s a reason this Bruins team set the record for most regular-season wins. They finished the season as the best defensive and second-best offensive team — and have goal scorers on every line and two trustworthy goaltenders with save percentages of at least .920. If that isn't enough for you, the Bruins have won each of their last 12 games against Eastern Conference opponents and finished the season on an eight-game winning streak.

It really only comes down to either David Pastrnak or Matthew Tkachuk for this prop, and I’m still very much leaning Pastrnak here. Both Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe finished with at least 40 goals on the season but they have to face the Bruins’ defense and goaltending that allowed a league-low 2.1 goals per game. Pastrnak finished with a career-high 61 goals, including nine goals and two hat-tricks across the Bruins’ final eight-game winning streak. Barring an injury or the random emergence from Boston’s depth, this should be a lock, even in a quick four-game sweep.

Assuming the Bruins continue to do what they have done all season, this series won’t last long and the series goal total shouldn’t come anywhere near this number. Boston allowed two or fewer goals in 52 games this season and one can only imagine Linus Ullmark will get even better in the postseason. On the other side, Florida has allowed 3.3 goals per game but its most recent starter, Alex Lyon, has provided a surprising boost that helped the team secure a playoff spot. I’m not saying the Bruins will struggle to score but the goaltending by both teams has been near top-notch lately, and the total just seems too high given the high possibility of a sweep.

All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbookand are subject to change.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is huntersk) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.