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Bet on Panthers to open series against Bruins with a home win in Game 1

After Bruins escaped the Maple Leafs, will they have enough to beat the Panthers in Game 1?

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning stops a second period shot by Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Amerant Bank Arena on April 29, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning stops a second period shot by Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Amerant Bank Arena on April 29, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)Read moreJoel Auerbach / Getty Images

We’ve reached the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Eastern Conference features some incredible matchups, including one that begins Monday night in Sunrise, Fla.

The Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers face off for the second year in a row after the Panthers dispatched the Bruins in the first round last season.

Let’s take a look at the matchup and make a pick for Monday night’s Game 1.

Bruins vs. Panthers Game 1 odds

  1. Money line: Bruins +138, Panthers -166

  2. Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (-196), Panthers -1.5 (+162)

  3. Total: Over 5.5 (+100), Under 5.5 (-122)

Bruins vs. Panthers Game 1 prediction & pick

The Panthers feature a well-rounded offensive attack from Carter Verhaeghe, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov. This contributed to them hitting the over in nearly every one of their first-round games against the Lightning.

Conversely, the Bruins smothered the Leafs defensively and won their first-round series with the Maple Leafs in seven games through low-scoring, gritty matchups.

While Boston has added some young pieces to the roster, this seems like the closing of the championship window for some of the legendary Bruins players such as Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic.

The unfortunate reality for both of these talented teams is the incredible depth of the Eastern Conference this season. One of these teams will have to face either the New York Rangers or Carolina Hurricanes, both capable of winning the Stanley Cup.

» READ MORE: Back the Mets and Cardinals to score plenty of runs in Monday night’s matchup in St. Louis

It’s important to note that this matchup has a relatively low over-under at 5.5 goals.

If you are OK with the risk, I think this could provide some value with the over paying +100. The Panthers have surged offensively and match up well with both rosters relatively similar to last season.

However, I’m hesitant to take the over with the Bruins’ penchant for low-scoring affairs.

If Boston turns Game 1 into a grimy matchup, it could slow down the Florida offense. So, how does this affect your betting strategy?

I am bullish on this Panthers team and think they have the Eastern Conference’s best chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

I think the Panthers take Game 1 against the Bruins. However, I’m not confident enough on how the game will play out to take the over 5.5 total goals.

If you are confident in the low O/U, you can squeeze more value out of the moneyline by pairing it with the over to make a plus-money same game parlay. Many books, such as FanDuel, have easy options to create your own parlay or have their own curated parlays.

  1. Pick: Panthers -166 (FanDuel)

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