Dump And Chase: Best bets for Leafs vs. Bruins

Welcome to Dump and Chase, powered by FanDuel. Join Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo this week as they highlight their best bets for the first round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins. 

 Aaron Korolnek: Carlo, for the fourth time in eleven years, it's the Leafs and the Bruins in round number one. Let's look at the series as a whole. Are you backing the blue and white at plus money?

Carlo Colaiacovo: You know what, AK? I am. I think this is a way better matchup that the Maple Leafs have drawn versus a matchup against Florida. And you just look at how they match up against each other. I think the Maple Leafs have the advantage upfront in their forward group. It's pretty even on the back end.

And obviously the Boston Bruins have the matchup in net. But the thing that bothers me is how everybody is just looking at the history of these two teams and automatically declaring that the Boston Bruins are going to win this series. The Maple Leafs have actually been a better team than the Boston Bruins since January 1.

61 points for Toronto, versus 59 points for the Bruins.

So you can see why Fanduel has this matchup very evenly matched.

And I think an advantage for the Maple Leafs that they start on the road where they're not going to feel the extra pressure that they normally would feel in a normal year. Plus, the role of an underdog is sort of what the Maple Leafs have embraced almost every time they've been one.

And let's not forget history. The Boston Bruins were the team that was the best team in history that choked away a 3-1 playoff series lead last year. And you wonder how much scar tissue they'll still have on that. So that's why I like the Maple Leaf chances in this series.

Korolnek: Looking at the Boston Bruins, a player I've really zoned in on is Pavel Zacha, who is the number one center for Boston. With Bergeron gone, with David Krejci gone, Zacha plays with David Pastrňák. Also on the top power play unit. Two plays that I've identified on Fanduel. Number one, Zacha to score two goals in the series is +100. Zacha to score three goals in the series is +400.

I think both of those bets provide a lot of value. Keep in mind, Zacha scored three goals in four games against the Maple Leafs this season.

Carlo, let's hone in on game number one tomorrow night.

Leafs, Bruins, you like the total in this one?

Explain.

Colaiacovo: Well, if we're sticking to the theme of goals, which you expect Zacha going to score a lot of, let's look at the over at this game at five-and-a-half because you've got two incredibly great offenses playing against each other. And you know the thing you normally see once series first start is you see a lot of intensity, a lot of energy, a lot of excitement from the players because it does really feel like a new season.

And because of that, you see a lot of goals normally be scored early on in the series and five-and-a-half between these two teams, especially with the way the goaltending the Maple Leafs has been playing lately. And the question marks in that with the Boston Bruins, which guy they're going to go with, I think you might see a lot of goals scored in the first couple of games in the series.

So five-and-a-half, you're actually getting great value between these two teams.

Korolnek: It's the best time of year if you're a hockey fan. The Stanley cup playoffs are here and so are our best bets.