The Boston Bruins will open the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday with Game 1 of their first-round series against the Washington Capitals.
Even though the Bruins are the lower seed and won't enjoy the benefits of home-ice advantage, oddsmakers view the Original Six club as the favorite to win the series.
Here are the latest betting lines for this Round 1 matchup -- odds provided by our partner, PointsBet Sportsbook.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
- Bruins to win the series: -130
- Capitals to win the series: +105
PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
It's not a huge surprise the Bruins are the favorites going into Game 1.
Bruins vs. Capitals first-round playoff preview and prediction
Boston Bruins
They have been the league's hottest team of late with a 12-4-1 record after acquiring forwards Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar, as well as defenseman Mike Reilly right before the April 12 trade deadline.
These three additions have given the Bruins much-needed scoring depth and better 5-on-5 production. In fact, Boston's 58 goals scored at 5-on-5 following the trade deadline are the second-most in the league.
Neely on a Taylor Hall extension: 'We'd like to get something done'
The B's also played pretty well against the Capitals in the regular season, even before making those trades. Overall, Boston went 4-2-2 versus Washington and outscored them 18-14 at 5-on-5 and 26-24 overall. The Bruins also tallied more shot attempts and shots on net during 5-on-5 action in the eight-game season series.
Lastly, the Bruins also have more talent, experience and depth at the goaltender position. Likely Capitals starting goalie Vitek Vanecek has zero Stanley Cup Playoff experience.
This should be a long series. These teams are evenly matched and know each other quite well. That said, it would be pretty disappointing for the Bruins if they failed to emerge from this series victorious.