Is the wild second round of NHL playoff betting about to get wilder? Maybe, as two tough franchises—the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks—face elimination tonight and don’t want to go quietly. Can the Hurricanes and Red Wings close out their respective series?

Bruins vs Hurricanes odds – Game 6 tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET
NHL odds: Bruins -115, Hurricanes -105

No matter what the Hurricanes accomplish in Stanley Cup betting, they seem doomed to be sportsbook underdogs—even at home tonight. Zdeno Chara can’t do it all on defense for Boston and the ‘Canes have capitalized, overwhelming the Bruins’ blueline with their size and speed. Game in, game out, the Chara-versus-Eric-Staal matchup has dictated this series; when Staal scores, Carolina wins. While Chara dominated Staal when the Bruins stayed alive in Game 5, he hasn’t done it yet on the road, where Carolina is 2-0 in this NHL betting series. Even if Staal one-ups Chara again tonight, though, don’t rush to throw your online sports bets down on Carolina just yet. Something big happened for Boston in Game 5 as two of their most important weapons—Marc Savard and Phil Kessel—woke up. When those two play with confidence and creativity, the Bruins odds usually prevail. I think the Bruins can carry that regained swagger into Game 6 and finally steal one on the road.

Hockey betting pick: Bruins -115

Red Wings vs Ducks odds – Game 6 tonight at 10:05 p.m ET
NHL odds: Red Wings -155, Ducks +135

With their season on the line, the Ducks will be the hungrier team tonight, right? Well, not necessarily. The defending champion Red Wings suddenly have a juicy carrot dangling in front of them: the Chicago Blackhawks, who advanced to the Western Conference final Monday night. They Wings would likely relish the chance to battle their old rivals in an epic Original-Six showdown, so they’ll be more motivated than some sportsbook players would expect tonight. The Wings also have a couple of X-factors on their side. First, Johan Franzen is repeating his amazing Stanley Cup odds performance of last year, with 13 points in 10 games and five goals in six games against the Ducks. Second, although neither roster will have jitters—these are the last two Stanley Cup winners—the exception is Jonas Hiller. He’s never faced elimination before and has looked shaky in the last few games. Detroit just has too much going for it right now, so it should close out the series tonight.

Hockey betting pick: Red Wings -155