Free NHL Hockey Prediction: Bruins vs Capitals NHL Odds
Looking for Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals free hockey plays & NHL Odds? NHL betting sees the Bruins taking on the Capitals on Friday, May 21st, 2021 at TD Garden in Boston. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NHL Hockey games all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NHL hockey predictions like this Bruins Capitals matchup.
NHL Handicapping Analysis
(33-16-7) (2-1) Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals (1-2) (36-15-5)
Date: Friday, May 21st, 2021
Time: 6:30pm ET
Venue: TD Garden in Boston
NHL Hockey Moneyline Odds: Bruins -148 Capitals +128
NHL Hockey Puck Line Odds: Bruins -1.5 +175 Capitals +1.5 -210
NHL Betting Total: 5.5
On Friday night the Bruins will host the Capitals for game 4. Boston is up 2-1 in the series after a nail-biting win in game 3 which required double overtime
Boston Bruins
The story for Boston so far in this series has been their depth scoring. In last year’s play-offs it was entirely up to Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak to generate offence. This year however, the Bruins have been able to rely on guys further down the line up to put the puck in the net, including the game winner in game 3 courtesy of Craig Smith.
Taylor Hall is another offensive weapon that Bruins fans have enjoyed watching. Hall has 2 goals in the 3 games played so far including a beautiful move to get Boston on the board in game 3. So far, Hall, the trade deadline acquisition, has worked out nicely for the Bruins.
The other player that needs to be mentioned is starting goaltender, Tuuka Rask. Rask has posted an impressive .926 save percentage after three games, to exactly match his career play off stats, also a .926. Rask, who fell out of favour with Bruins fans last year after opting out of playing in the bubble, has been and will continue to be an essential part of the team’s success. The veteran net minder has been consistently good and there is no reason to expect that to change now.
Washington Capitals
After winning game 1 of the series, the capitals are now chasing the series for the first time. Despite losing their series lead, there are some positives to take away from game 3.
First of all, Alexander Ovechkin opened the scoring with a great shot from in tight. It’s always a good thing to get a generational talent going, and Ovi will have to continue to perform if the Capitals want to advance to the second round.
Secondly, Ilya Samsonov, Washington’s starting goaltender, is back from injury and looked fantastic in his first start. Samsonov was good for a .930 save percentage, and while he made an error playing the puck that would lead directly to Smith’s game winning goal, he still made 43 saves, and I don’t think he’ll allow himself to make that mistake again.
The Capitals are a veteran team who has been here before. As expected this series is incredibly tight, with each game so far needing overtime. It is not yet time to panic for Caps fans as these two teams are very evenly matched.
NHL Betting Trends
- Bruins are 3-10 in their last 13 playoff games as a favorite.
- Bruins are 9-2 in their last 11 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Capitals are 4-1 in their last 5 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Capitals are 4-1 in their last 5 games as an underdog.
- Capitals are 3-7 in their last 10 playoff games as an underdog.
Free Boston Bruins vs Washington Capitals NHL Prediction:
As I mentioned, these teams are extremely well matched and picking a winner is difficult. I think Ilya Samsonov will continue to play at a high level and the capitals will squeak out a win to tie the series at 2-2.
4* Free NHL Betting Pick: Washington Capitals ML +128
I expect this series to continue to be close, but the Capitals will be desperate to keep from being on the brink of elimination. I’m picking the Caps to take game 4. Good luck!
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