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Staggered start times once again mean hockey all day with the NHL Playoffs on Sunday May 23. We’ve got a lot to look forward to on the ice, as a couple of series could come to a close. Colorado is up 3-0 on St. Louis and Boston is up 3-1 on Washington. That Bruins/Capitals game will actually be the one in the spotlight with this preview, as Washington looks to avoid elimination.

The Bruins are favored in the -130 range at <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/betonline/">BetOnline Sportsbook</a> with a total of 5.5 for Game 5 on Sunday. Washington will be in the cornered rat spot of staring down the barrel of the offseason. A loss will send Washington to the golf course and send Boston on to the second round. Will that be enough for the Capitals to play at their best and extend the series?

Let’s take a look at this one and see which side or which part of the total to take.
<h2><strong><u>Boston Bruins</u></strong></h2>
The Bruins were simply dominant in Game 4. They had 1.93 xGF at 5-v-5 to just 0.67 xGF for Washington. Even though Boston only won the game 1-0 at full strength and had to rely on special teams goals for the 4-1 victory, the Bruins were clearly and decidedly the better team at the most common game state.

Boston had nine high-danger scoring chances to just one for Washington. One of the concerns for the Capitals after the first two games of the series was how they would do on the road because Boston had the last line change and got the preferred matchups. In Game 3, it wasn’t as big of a deal and Washington took the game to overtime before losing in overtime.

In Game 4, however, Boston completely controlled the play. It was a dominant performance and one where Samsonov actually kept Washington in the game for as long as possible. The Capitals just didn’t reciprocate. Boston goes into Game 4 holding all of the cards. The high hit on Kevan Miller from Dmitry Orlov did leave Boston a defenseman short, but also felt like a turning point in the series.

The Capitals were more about trying to get revenge and push around the Bruins than scoring goals. The game got chippy. The game got physical. That’s what Boston wants. Washington is more of a finesse team. If the Bruins can make Game 5 play out in a similar way, they should be able to finish off the series.

It doesn’t hurt to have Tuukka Rask as the last line of defense. Rask has allowed just nine goals in four games in this series with a 1.99 GAA and a .930 SV%. The Bruins had no questions in net coming intot he season and it has been evident thus far.
<h2><strong><u>Washington Capitals</u></strong></h2>
The Capitals will go down swinging. The question is whether it happens on the scoreboard or with their style of play. Boston got under Washington’s skin in a big way in Game 4. Hits were being thrown all over the place and the Capitals seemed more focused on inflicting punishment than getting even in the series. A three-goal third from Boston sealed a home sweep for the Bruins and now the Capitals go back home one game from elimination.

The Capitals simply have to find a way to generate more offense. Washington trails by 20 in high-danger scoring chances, which is not what you would expect to see from a team that ranked 13th in that department during the regular season. Washington was actually +53 in high-danger chance differential. Boston was only +7, but the Bruins allowed the sixth-fewest high-danger chances.

Washington has to get more pucks to the net from high-percentage scoring areas, which is easier said than done. A fundamental change needs to take place in Game 5, otherwise Washington will see the season end. Maybe we should have seen this coming, as for all of Washington’s talent, ranking 19th in scoring chances at 5-v-5 isn’t good enough.

It does sting that Washington has already played three goaltenders in this series. Vitek Vanacek only made it 13 minutes and 10 seconds into Game 1 before leaving hurt. Craig Anderson started Game 2 and stopped 44 of 48 shots. He stopped 21 of 22 in Game 1. Anderson did not start Game 3 and that put Ilya Samsonov into the fire. Samsonov has allowed seven goals on 80 shots, so he hasn’t been the problem, but with how Washington has played offensively, his margin for error is limited.
<h2><strong><u>Capitals vs. Bruins Free Pick</u></strong></h2>
In this one, you have to give the edge to the Bruins until proven otherwise. Washington has done very little at 5-v-5 in this series. The Capitals are only 3-for-17 on the power play. That won’t get it done. Special teams have failed Washington as much as the 5-v-5 play. Boston is on the doorstep with the better goaltender and the better performance in this series thus far.

<strong>Pick: Boston Bruins</strong>

Capitals vs. Bruins Game 4 - Free Pick 05/23/21

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<p>The Dolphins are the heavy favorite in their week 11 matchup against the Raiders, which will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. The game is set for 1:00 ET on Sunday, November 17th, and will be televised on CBS. The Dolphins' money line odds are -390, while the Raiders are at +299. Miami is favored by -7.5 points, and the over/under line is 44.5 points.</p><h3>LAS VEGAS RAIDERS VS MIAMI DOLPHINS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Miami Dolphins -7.5</p><p>This game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium at 1:00 ET on Sunday, November 17th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE MIAMI DOLPHINS:</h3><ul><li>We have the Dolphins winning this one by a score of 30 to 19</li><li>Not only do we have the Dolphins winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -7.5</li><li>Look for this game to go over the line of 44.5 points</li></ul><h3>Will The Raiders Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs</h3><p>Heading into week 11 against the Dolphins, the Raiders are looking to snap a five-game losing streak. Las Vegas currently sits at 2-7, placing them 27th in our power rankings and giving them just a 1% chance of making the playoffs. In their most recent game, the Raiders fell 41-24 to the Bengals, dropping them to 4th in the AFC West with an 0-3 division record.</p> <p>Las Vegas has an average scoring margin of -9.2 points per game and is 4-5 against the spread. They are 4-4 as underdogs and 0-1 as favorites. Their O/U record is 6-3, with the over hitting in two straight games.</p><p>Heading into week 11, the Raiders rank 32nd in our offensive power rankings. They are 22nd in the NFL in points per game (18.7) and 29th in yards per game (280.2). Las Vegas ranks 7th in passing attempts per game but is 18th in passing yards, averaging 203.3 per game. On the ground, they are last in the league in rushing yards per game (76.9) and 26th in rushing attempts. The Raiders are 25th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversion rate (33.6%) but have been efficient in the red zone, ranking 5th with a 59.1% conversion rate.</p> <p>In week 9, Gardner Minshew II threw for 124 yards, completing 10 of 17 passes, in a loss to the Bengals. Jakobi Meyers led the team with 8 receptions for 105 yards, while Alexander Mattison had 36 rushing yards on 9 carries. Las Vegas scored 14 points in the 4th quarter and converted 5 of 13 3rd-down attempts.</p><p>In their 41-24 loss to the Bengals, the Raiders' defense struggled to get off the field, allowing Cincinnati to convert on 53.3% of their third down attempts. The Raiders gave up five passing touchdowns and allowed the Bengals to complete 69.2% of their passes for 243 yards. They also managed just one sack and one interception.<p></p>The Raiders' defense also struggled to generate pressure, as they had a negative differential in both QB hits and tackles for loss. Overall, the Bengals put up 373 yards of total offense, with 130 of those coming on the ground (4.2 yards per attempt).</p><h3>Are The Dolphins Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?</h3><p>Miami ended a four-game losing streak with a 23-15 win over the Rams in week 10, bringing their record to 3-6. The Dolphins rank 20th in our power rankings and have an 8.1% chance of making the playoffs. They are 2nd in the AFC East, but with a 1-2 division record, they have no chance of winning the division.</p> <p>Miami is 3-6 against the spread, but they have covered in two straight games, including their win over the Rams, where they were 2-point underdogs. The O/U line for that game was 49.5, and the teams combined for 38 points. The Dolphins’ O/U record is 3-6 this season.</p><p>Miami’s offense ranks 26th in our power rankings, and they are 27th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game. They are 20th in the league in total yards per game (315.2), and they rank 25th in passing yards per game (188.8) on 31.2 attempts per game. On the ground, Miami is 8th in rushing attempts and 9th in rushing yards per game (126.4). They have been solid on 3rd down, converting 40.2% of their attempts, which ranks 10th in the NFL, and they are 8th in red zone conversion percentage.</p> <p>In week 10, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 207 yards, completing 20 of 28 passes with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Jaylen Waddle led the team with 57 receiving yards, while De'Von Achane rushed for 37 yards on 12 carries. Miami scored 7 points in the 1st quarter, 3 in the 2nd, 7 in the 3rd, and 6 in the 4th, converting 6 of 13 3rd downs and 2 of 3 red zone attempts.</p><p>The Dolphins' defense came up with four sacks and held the Rams to a 25% conversion rate on third down in their most recent game, helping them to a 23-15 win. Miami's run defense was also solid, allowing just 70 yards on 18 attempts. Despite giving up 327 yards through the air, they didn't allow any passing touchdowns and came up with one interception.</p><p></p><p>They also won the quarterback hit battle by two but did lose the tackles for loss differential by -3. Opposing quarterbacks completed 69.6% of their passes against Miami in this game.</p>

Las Vegas Raiders vs Miami Dolphins Betting Pick & Prediction 11/17/24

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