How the public is betting Bruins vs. Hurricanes first round playoff series

Game 5 update: The Bruins won 2-1 on second period goals by David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron to win the series.

Game 4 update: The Bruins won 4-3 on two goals from Jake DeBrusk.

Game 3 update: The Bruins won 3-1, thanks to 29 saves by replacement goalie Jaroslav Halak.

Game 2 update: The Hurricanes won 3-2 on a Dougie Hamilton goal in the third period.

Game 1 update: The Bruins won 4-3 in double overtime on a Patrice Bergeron goal.

The Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes open their first round series on Tuesday as the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway. The series takes place in the Toronto hub city, with the Bruins getting to wear their home jerseys for four of the seven games.

The Bruins are the No. 4 seed after losing all three of their round robin games. The Hurricanes were the 6th seed in the qualifying round and swept the New York Rangers while only giving up four total goals. Boston enters the series as a -159 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook against the +135 Hurricanes. The betting public is split on this matchup. 65 percent of total bets are on the underdog Hurricanes, while 60 percent of total handle is on the favored Bruins. Given the Bruins round robin struggles, this is not entirely surprising.

Game 1 of the series gets going at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and the public thinks the Bruins can get off to a solid start in the series. The Bruins are -137 on the money line and are getting 59 percent of handle and 55 percent of bets. They are -1.5 on the puck line and a more robust 71 percent of handle along with 52 percent of bets to cover that line. Bettors are split on total score. Over 5.5 total goals is getting 55 percent of handle, while under 5.5 total goals is getting 60 percent of bets.

The biggest injury concern is Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton. He suffered an undisclosed injury in July, and his availability is unclear, according to reporter Dan Rosen. Defenseman Brett Pesce is unlikely to play in the series.

Here is the Bruins-Hurricanes series schedule. The Bruins win the series 4-1.

Game 1: Bruins 4, Hurricanes 3
Game 2: Hurricanes 3, Bruins 2
Game 3: Bruins 3, Hurricanes 1
Game 4: Bruins 4, Hurricanes 3
Game 5: Bruins 2, Hurricanes 1