The Eastern Conference Finals in the NHL pits one team that came out of nowhere (Florida) and another that was penciled into this spot for months (Carolina). Now four wins are all that separates one from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. We have a complete series preview right here, including our best bets to make on what we believe will be a Carolina win in the conference finals.
Before we preview the Eastern Conference Finals matchup, let’s level-set things by taking a peak at the odds. Per the best betting sites for the NHL, the Hurricanes are comfortable betting favorites to win the series outright. Here’s how the odds shake out for both teams:
The Canes were the clear-cut better team in the regular season with a 52-21-9 mark and 113 points. They haven’t let up one bit in the postseason either. After the Islanders had the first-round series tied 2-2, the Hurricanes have gone on to win six of their next seven postseason games.
At the same time, it’s hard not to think Florida is a team of destiny right now. They were in a 3-1 hole against record-setting Boston in the first round. Since then? They’ve won seven of their last eight after a quick 4-1 series win over Toronto. It’s worth mentioning, the Bruins were the Stanley Cup betting favorites before the playoffs started. Then after round one, it was Toronto. Now? Carolina is the Stanley Cup favorite among the four left. The Panthers have managed to play spoiler so far so the Canes should not rest easy.
Moreover, these two teams faced off three times during the regular season. Each team won via shutout once and then in the regular-season finale — when both still needed wins for playoff positioning — the Canes picked up a 6-4 victory. The close proximity of the Sun Belt teams should also make travel less of a burden. Not that home-ice advantage matters much in the NHL playoffs hockey, but even less so when the teams are a quick two-hour flight from one another.
We’ll be making two separate bets on the Eastern Conference Finals. Each aligns closely, but as you’ll see, one wager is a bit of a slingshot — one worth taking, though. Here’s where to put your money in this series:
Series Winner
Look, we don’t need to lead you on here. You saw our article headline up top so you know we’re betting on Carolina to advance. To us, the X-factor in this matchup is the Canes’ defense, which is on another stratosphere right now. Outside of one horrific game (when they allowed eight goals), the Devils managed just five goals in four other games last round against them. The Islanders, in the series before, managed 2.5 goals per game. All in all, no team has allowed fewer goals this playoff run than the Canes.
No doubt, the Panthers have turned on the offense against contenders like the Leafs and Bruins. But neither of those two teams possesses blue liners the caliber of the Canes. The group is tall, experienced, and anchored by Jaccob Slavin, who is emerging as a sneak Conn Smythe Trophy candidate.
On offense, both teams are much more evenly-matched. There have been question marks about Carolina’s attack most of the season, but in the postseason, they’re averaging 3.6 goals per game. That’s marginally better than Florida at 3.3.
But the staunch defense will be the difference-maker in this series. Bet on the Canes to advance to only their third-ever Stanley Cup, just don’t think it’ll be easy as will explain in our next bet.
Exact Series Score
This bet is a tad harder to hit, which is reflected in the plus-money odds across the board. The point of this wager is to pick how the series ends EXACTLY by the winning team and series score. Here are all the betting options:
| Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina 4-0 | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Carolina 4-1 | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Carolina 4-2 | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Carolina 4-3 | +425 | +425 | +425 |
| Florida 4-0 | +1300 | +1300 | +1300 |
| Florida 4-1 | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Florida 4-2 | +475 | +475 | +475 |
| Florida 4-3 | +550 | +550 | +550 |
To us, this is going six or seven games. The Panthers are way too hot to bow out any easier. Cause of that, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say we’re seeing a seven-game epic here. But as we said, Carolina will come out on top because of its superior defensive play.
We’re down to four teams in the NHL playoffs, however, a plethora of betting opportunities remain on tap for the next several weeks. If you want all the available wagers under one roof, hit one of the websites listed underneath. Signing up to one of these sportsbooks is quick and easy so you can spend more time researching bets to win off of.
Reference the table below if you need help selecting a sportsbook since we’ve included updated reviews and promo bonus details right then and there. While you can’t go wrong with any of the five bookmakers listed below there are some subtle differences between each. Our information will help you determine which is the best for your betting style.
About the Author
Eric is uniquely suited to be a writer for SBS. For one, he's a journalist by trade. Eric spent a large part of his career, covering sports — high school, college, and professional — for newspapers and online-based sites. However, Eric is a bettor himself too. He has first-hand experience hanging out in smoky sportsbooks and casinos, dealing with the ebbs and flows of gambling, and an understanding of how bookies operate. Both these unique qualities make him an expert bet picker for SBS. You'll also see Eric report on the sports betting industry as a whole.
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