Best NHL Prop Bets for Hurricanes vs. Bruins: Jake Guentzel Owns the B's
By Nate Duffett
The Carolina Hurricanes travel to TD Garden on Tuesday night to take on the Boston Bruins in a battle between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Bruins visited Carolina last Thursday and left with a 4-1 victory. The Bruins have won four straight games, which has given them a five-point lead in the Atlantic Division with four games left to play. Barring a major change, the Bruins will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 of the playoffs.
The Hurricanes' playoff seeding is also close to being determined. Carolina sits five points behind the New York Rangers, likely giving them the No.2 spot in the Metropolitan. The Hurricanes are still unsure of their first-round opponent, as the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and Philadelphia Flyers are all in striking distance for the No.3 spot.
Both teams will want a victory in this game, as there's a chance that we could see yet another Hurricanes vs. Bruins postseason matchup. They have faced off in the playoffs three times since the 2018-19 season, with the Bruins holding the edge 2-1. The Hurricanes won the most recent meeting, taking a seventh-game victory in the first round of 2022.
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Best Prop Bets for Hurricanes vs. Bruins
- Jake Guentzel OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal
- Jake Guentzel Anytime Goal Scorer
- Pavel Zacha To Record 1+ Assist
Jake Guentzel OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal
Betting an opposing team's offense against the Boston Bruins can be scary, as the B's have been one of the top defensive teams for nearly two decades. However, the line of 2.5 shots on goal for Guentzel is too low for his production.
Guentzel has over 2.5 shots on goal in nine of his 14 games since joining the Carolina Hurricanes. However, his numbers against the Bruins made this line jump out to me. Sometimes certain teams bring out the best in a player, and that is the case for Guentzel with the Bruins. Guentzel has over 2.5 shots on goal in six of his last seven matchups with the Bruins. He has 27 shots on goal in those seven games for an average of 3.8 shots per game.
Jake Guentzel Anytime Goal Scorer
Unsurprisingly, when Jake Guentzel averages 3.8 shots per game against a certain team, he also puts some of those pucks past the goaltender. Guentzel has goals in three straight games against the Bruins, including the lone goal in the 4-1 loss, last Thursday.
Guentzel has 13 goals in 25 career games against the Bruins and six in his last six games. Guentzel had just two goals in his first 11 games with the Hurricanes but has hit his stride since the calendar turned to April. He has three goals, two assists in three April games, and nine points in his last five games.
The Bruins have been playing well over their last stretch of games, making it one of their most consistent runs of the season. The Bruins can relax a little now that they have made a cushion on the Panthers for first in the Atlantic, and this feels like a game where the Hurricanes may jump on them early to avenge last Thursday's loss in Carolina.
Pavel Zacha to Record 1+ Assist
The Bruins have found a new-look first line that features David Pastrnak, Danton Heinen, and Zacha. Their best performance thus far may have been in last Thursday's matchup between these teams, when Pastrnak and Heinen each had a goal in the first period, assisted by the other two linemates.
This two-assist performance by Zacha wasn't a huge surprise. Since joining Boston last season, he has been one of the Bruins' best performers against the Hurricanes. He has six assists in five games, failing to record a helper in just one of those games.
A big reason for Zacha's success against the Hurricanes is being on a line with David Pastrnak. However, even in his New Jersey Devils days, Zacha has enjoyed playing against the Canes. He has six goals and 11 assists in 23 games against Carolina, one of his best offensive outputs against any team.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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