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Bruins vs. Panthers Predictions & Odds: Today's NHL Playoffs Expert Picks

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: May 8, 2024 5:00 PM EDT • 3 min 16 sec read.

Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck, as we offer our Bruins vs. Panthers player props for Game 2.
Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on April 27, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images via AFP.

After a lopsided loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 1, the Florida Panthers look to tie the series as we offer our top Bruins-Panthers predictions and expert picks for Game 2 based on the best NHL odds. 

After suffering through a tough-to-watch blowout loss at home in Game 1, expect the Florida Panthers (52-24-6) to look immensely different in Game 2 against the ever-confident Boston Bruins (47-20-15). Those two face off tonight at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN/Sportsnet from Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.

The Panthers are the Game 2 favorites across our best sports betting sites despite that 5-1 loss to the Bruins on Monday. While Boston holds a 1-0 series lead, Florida still owns shorter Stanley Cup odds entering Wednesday's tilt.

A key reason for that is the stellar play of goalie Jeremy Swayman, who has surrendered two goals or fewer in six straight games and boasts an impressive .955 save percentage through his first seven games in these 2024 NHL playoffs.

To accompany our Oilers vs. Canucks predictions, here are our best Bruins vs. Panthers predictions and NHL picks (odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Bruins vs. Panthers Game 2 expert picks

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Bruins vs. Panthers predictions for Wednesday

Matthew Tkachuk Over 3.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Swayman's outrageously good goaltending makes picking props involving Panthers players scoring points increasingly challenging. The Bruins' netminder can see the puck between an ocean of legs, bodies, and sticks, so let's not tempt fate and alter directions, banking on Matthew Tkachuk's eagerness to get pucks to the net. Considering Swayman excels more than Achilles did on the battlefield, firing pucks toward him from all angles is the right strategy. 

Tkachuk has at least four shots in five of six playoff games, notching three in the lone Under. He'll again be preoccupied with testing Swayman, hoping to get a lucky bounce or picking the corner perfectly like in Game 1.

FanDuel offers the best value of our best sports betting apps. The implied probability of -118 odds is 54.13%, and a $10 winning wager pays a profit of $8.47. 

Best odds: -118 via FanDuel

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Over 5.5 goals ⭐⭐⭐

Game 1 was heading for the Under before Paul Maurice pulled Sergei Bobrovsky with more than four minutes to play despite being down by three goals. That theme in the NHL playoffs is becoming commonplace, as coaches yank their netminder down by as many as three with more time remaining than before the Times Square ball drops to bring in 2025. 

Both teams are excellent defensively, but the Bruins broke through in Game 1 and scored more than two goals for the first time since Game 3 of the opening round. Plus, six of the seven games between these teams in last season's first-round hit the Over.

The Panthers will fire everything, including the kitchen sink and a few toilet cisterns, toward Swayman. And there's always a decent chance of an empty-net goal or three.

Most of our best sportsbooks are aligned at +100, which pays a profit of $10 on a winning $10 bet. The +100 odds imply a 50% probability. 

Best odds: +100 via DraftKings

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Sam Reinhart Over 3.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Like Tkachuk and a handful of his teammates, Sam Reinhart has prioritized letting the puck fly. Reinhart has at least four shots in five of six playoff contests. He's averaging 4.8 shots per game and will feel additional pressure to test Swayman in Game 2, knowing how crucial leveling the series at one game apiece is before heading to Boston. 

The most appealing part of this prop is the +150 odds FanDuel offers. Reinhart has shown a propensity to drive pucks toward goal effectively, and Game 2 shouldn't be any different.

The +150 odds imply a probability of 40% and pay a profit of $15 on a winning $10 wager. 

Best odds: +150 via FanDuel

Bruins vs. Panthers Game 2 info & odds

  • When: Wednesday, May 8
  • Puck drop: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Fla.
  • How to watch: ESPN, Sportsnet
  • Favorite: Panthers (-172 via FanDuel)

Bruins-Panthers predictions made Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson is a sports writer specializing in hockey, soccer, NFL, and tennis coverage. He has 10 years of industry experience and has contributed to various publications, including BetMGM, Covers.com, the Hockey Writers, Yardbarker, NJ.com, the Miami Herald, the Canadian Press, and the Calgary Herald.