The NHL betting board for Monday features Game 2 of an East Division first-round matchup, where the Boston Bruins try to even their best-of-seven series with the Washington Capitals.
The Caps pulled off a thrilling 3-2 overtime thriller on Saturday and hope to take a commanding 2-0 lead but it's the visiting Bruins who come in as slim -130 favorites.
Here are our best free Bruins vs. Capitals picks and predictions for Monday, May 17, with the puck dropping at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Bruins vs Capitals game info
• Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
• Date: Monday, May 17, 2021
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBCSN, TVAS
Bruins vs Capitals odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
NHL Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonBoston hit the TwinSpires Sportsbook odds board at -115, moved to -126 early and is up to -139 at 4:45 p.m. ET. The Bruins are drawing 80 percent of bets and 84 percent of cash on the moneyline. "We've seen public and sharp money on the Bruins to tie this series up," TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said of Game 2 action. "The Caps will be one of our bigger needs tonight." The total is stable at 5.5, with ticket count 3/1 and money 2/1 on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameBruins vs Capitals series odds
Bruins: +105
Capitals: -125
Bruins at Capitals betting preview
Injuries
Bruins: Jeremy Lauzon D (Questionable), Jakub Zboril D (Questionable), Ondrej Kase F (Questionable).
Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetzov F (Doubtful), Ilya Samsonov G (Questionable), Vitek Vanecek G (Questionable), Michal Kempny D (Questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Bruins are 9-2 in their last 11 games after scoring two goals or fewer in their previous contest. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Capitals.
Moneyline pick
The hero of Washington's Game 1 victory was backup goalie Craig Anderson, who came on in relief of injured starter Vitek Vanecek to turn away 21 of 22 shots he faced.
Anderson might have to come up big once again with Vanecek listed as questionable and the availability of regular No. 2 netminder Ilya Samsonov also up in the air as he was just removed from the COVID-19 list.
Having a vet like Anderson as your third-string goalie is nice but he's still 39 years old and is coming off three ugly seasons in Ottawa. Samsonov might suit up but he has a modest 2.69 goals-against average with a .902 save percentage and could show rust after more than two weeks away from the team.
The Bruins will likely turn to Tuukka Rask between the pipes again. Although he let in a soft one in overtime in Game 1, he has a strong track record after finishing last year as the Vezina Trophy runner-up and wrapping up this season with a 15-5-2 record, 2.28 GAA and a .913 save percentage.
Rask also has a rock-solid defense in front of him, with the Bruins allowing the fourth-fewest high-danger chances per 60 minutes in the NHL.
On paper, the Caps are the better team offensively but the Bruins have been scoring at a higher clip after trading for Taylor Hall. Boston averaged 3.63 goals per game over the final 16 games of the regular season after adding the star winger.
Boston is the far better team when it comes to Fenwick For Rating in 5v5 hockey, ranking second in the NHL while Washington ranks 14th. The Bruins also led the league with a faceoff win percentage of 55.3 while the Caps rank just 22nd at 49.2 percent.
Expect those factors to be the difference as the Bruins even up this series at one game apiece.
PREDICTION: Boston (-130)
Over/Under pick
Both of these teams have plenty of firepower up front, with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom leading the way for the Caps and Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, and Hall pacing the Bruins. But this is playoff hockey and as we saw on Saturday, that means an added emphasis on tight-checking and strong defense.
As a matter of fact, the Bruins are 9-3-1 to the Under in their last 13 playoff games as a favorite while the Caps are 21-8-5 to the Under in their previous 34 playoff contests as an underdog.
Rask also turns his game up a notch in the postseason, boasting a 2.21 GAA with a .926 save percentage in 94 career playoff games.
We mentioned that Bruins allow the fourth-fewest high-danger chances per 60 minutes in the NHL, but the Capitals are also strong in that department, ranking seventh in the league in HDCA/60 in 5v5 play.
Both squads have also been spectacular on the penalty kill with the Bruins second in the league with a PK percentage of 86 and the Caps ranking fifth with a PK percentage of 84. Take the Under.
PREDICTION: Under 5.5 (-140)
Bruins vs Capitals betting card
- Boston ML (-130)
- Under 5.5 (-140)
Picks made on 5/17/2021 at 9:40 a.m. ET
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