The surprising story of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs continues with many excellent wagering opportunities

The Eastern Conference Finals begin Thursday night at 8:00 PM ET when the Boston Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes in a best-of-seven series. It’s the first time the Bruins have made the Conference Finals since 2013, which is the last year they won the Stanley Cup. Carolina hasn’t made the Conference Finals since 2009, being swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s been quite a while for these two fan bases to celebrate hockey this late in the playoffs. Look for that to be a critical factor upon play and outcome in this series.

Road to the Semi-Finals

After gaining momentum by sweeping the New York Islanders in the semifinals, the Hurricanes have been waiting to learn the outcome of the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets series. As a result, the Hurricanes haven’t played a hockey game since May 3rd. That could be a double-edged sword. Either they’ll be well rested when they step on the ice at TD Garden or potentially flat from a week of inactivity. 

Conversely, the Bruins just wrapped up their series on Monday night and will have only two days’ rest prior to tonight’s Game One. Goaltender Tuukka Rask was a major force against Columbus, posting a .948 save percentage in the series, including a shutout in Game 6. Traditionally, hot goalies are a key force for any team to ride throughout the playoffs.

If you don't root for Boston and you're sick of the city's professional sports teams' success -- you’re not in luck. The Bruins will make it Boston's 28th appearance in a conference final in the four major sports since 2001.

The Hurricane’s goalie performance can’t be overlooked either. Regular season starter Petr Mrazek went down with injury and was more than capably replaced with backup Curtis McElhinney. McElhinney filled in marvelously for Mrazek, posting a .947 save percentage while winning all three games he appeared in. With Mrazek now healthy, it’ll be interesting to see if the Hurricane’s head coach Rod Brind’Amour decides upon going back to his starter or sticks with the hot hand. A similar situation emerged a few years ago when the Pittsburgh Penguins rose to win the Stanley Cup.

Bovada Leads the Way

Compared to the NBA Playoffs this year, the NHL has been a hotbed of opportunity for sharp bettors.  Top seeded teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals have fallen by the wayside early, making way for a welcome path for those paying attention.

It’s certainly not too late to join the list with premium sportsbook Bovada offering a large menu of traditional Stanley Cup wagering plus many prop bets. Here’s a current look from Bovada at tonight’s Game One: 

In the series the Bruins are a -155 favorite with the Hurricanes a +135 underdog.  Other Stanley Cup future wagers and props are available at Bovada.lv.

The Pick

During a Stanley Cup Playoff season already marked by unpredictability, this is a very tough call. But the Bruins have proved their standing as one of the NHL’s elite teams in defeating the tough Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Hurricanes are certainly capable of meeting a challenge with the Bruins utilizing their style of play but will need superb goaltending again to win the series. Rask is playing too well with Boston having renewed depth and ultimately, too much for Carolina to handle. The Bruins in seven games. 

Glenn Greene covers the games from a betting angle every week exclusively at OSGA.com. For weekly betting insights, including previews and picks from Glenn, click here.