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NHL playoff picks: Canes to bounce back, even series

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We had to settle for 2-1 on Wednesday, hitting with the Bruins and Islanders but missing the under in the late game.

Let's turn that 2-1 into a 2-0 on Thursday.

Chicago Blackhawks (+170) @ Vegas Golden Knights (-215)

Unders have been wildly profitable since the NHL's return, and Game 1 of this series was no different. Things got off to a relatively sluggish start before really picking up in the final 40 minutes - all five goals were scored after the 13-minute mark of the second frame.

The Golden Knights were very comfortable creating offense, which was to be expected against a Blackhawks team that allowed 71 high-danger scoring chances, most among clubs in the play-in round. Vegas, with its high-end talent and forward depth, will have no issues in consistently finding the back of the net in this series.

Chicago will need to do a better job of keeping up but was fairly unlucky in its opening game. The Blackhawks managed just 20 shots on Robin Lehner, but that number is fairly misleading.

It was a case of quality over quantity for the Hawks, who still generated nine high-danger scoring chances in the game - Vegas managed 10 - and hit three posts. They also outchanced the Knights 27 to 21, managing 2.17 expected goals for. With their skill up front, they won't be held to one goal often on those underlying numbers. Expect a greater return for the Blackhawks in Game 2.

Pick: Over 6 (-115)

Carolina Hurricanes (+125) @ Boston Bruins (-145)

These teams play on consecutive days after Game 1 was pushed back a day - a far-from-ideal scenario after playing into double overtime Wednesday. The quick turnaround is going to be especially tough on a veteran Bruins team.

Game 1 was the Bruins' first contest at this intensity level in several months, as round-robin play lacked the same energy. They'll need more time to recover than the Hurricanes, who went through their adjustment period during the play-in series with the Rangers. We can expect a bit more jump from a young Canes team also fueled by a little anger stemming from Charlie Coyle's controversial Game 1 goal.

Carolina closed out the regular season on a 7-0-2 run in back-to-backs, while Boston is 5-7-1 in its last 13. It's just another reason to like the Canes in this spot, at this price, following a strong showing in the series opener that really could have gone either way. After cashing on the Bruins in Game 1, I'm flipping the script here and rolling with the Hurricanes in Game 2.

Pick: Hurricanes (+125)

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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