Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals Game 5 Prediction, NHL Odds
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Jeremy Perry
The Boston Bruins are gaining steam, while the Washington Capitals are losing their cool as they look to stay alive Sunday in Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series. The Bruins played their most complete game of the best-of-seven last time out, rolling to a 4-1 win that gave them a 3-1 lead in the series. And they’re favoured to finish the job Sunday against a Capitals team that has struggled to penetrate the Bruins’ stout defence and goaltending.
Bruins vs. Capitals Stanley Cup Odds
Boston is listed as a -135 favourite, the lowest odds for the Bruins since their Game 1 loss. They’ve rewarded bettors handsomely over the previous three games, and produced a puckline win last time out thanks to three power-play goals and a 37-20 shots on goal advantage. Still, Sports Interaction customers aren’t quite ready to give up on the higher-seeded Capitals yet, with 69 percent of respondents taking the hosts at +113.
The total for Sunday’s potential series-clinching game is set at 5.5, with the Under at -131 and the Over at +109. And while three of the first four games have finished below the 5.5-goal threshold, Sports Interaction bettors are tempted by those Over odds and are taking the O5.5 at a 56-percent clip. The Under is 5-2 in the Bruins’ previous seven road games, while the Capitals are 6-1 to the Under in their last seven overall.
Boston Bruins
That the Bruins put together such a dominant performance despite yielding seven Washington power-play chances is heartening – but head coach Bruce Cassidy wasn’t feeling blessed after the game, calling his team’s parade to the penalty box “a complete head-scratcher”. Boston is winning the special teams battle through the first four games, having scored five goals on 16 power-play chances while the Capitals are just 3-for-17 with the man advantage.
Washington Capitals
After posting the best record in the NHL in one-goal games during the regular season, the Capitals suffered consecutive overtime defeats in Games 2 and 3 and looked like they had nothing left in Game 4. Goaltending has been a problem for Washington, which has already blown a one-goal lead on five different occasions against the Bruins and boasts a dismal .820 save percentage when up by one through the first four games.
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