Stanley Cup Odds: Bruins’ Recent Slide Has Them Tumbling At Sportsbooks

The Boston Bruins visit the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night searching for just their second win of 2016 and a halt to their current slide on the Stanley Cup odds, which have tumbled to 33-1 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Boston concludes a five-game road trip with Friday night’s Bruins vs. Sabres betting matchup at First Niagara Center and is mired in its worst slump of the season, with losses in eight of its last 10 outings.

The club’s current swoon has damaged its Stanley Cup betting odds, which were pegged at 25-1 in the preseason and peaked at 18-1 in mid-December following a strong 11-4 run.

Despite their recent troubles, the Bruins remain in the Eastern Conference wild-card hunt with 47 points through 42 games but pass the halfway point of the NHL season still struggling to find consistency.

Boston has netted 22 total goals over its past 10 games, with seven of those markers coming in a 7-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 29, but will have a chance to recharge its offense against the Sabres, who have surrendered 16 goals over their past five games.

However, Buffalo has received outstanding goaltending during its current two-game win streak, allowing just four total goals this week in wins against the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild despite being badly outshot in both contests.

Friday’s clash is the second meeting of the season between these clubs, with the Sabres winning the first 6-3 on Dec. 26 at TD Garden.

The Sabres have lost five straight at home, scoring just seven goals during that stretch, according to the OddsShark NHL Database, and have tallied just eight home wins to date this season, more than only the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets and San Jose Sharks.

The Bruins have won their past two visits to Buffalo but are winless in their last two overall against the Sabres, ending a four-game win streak against their Atlantic Division rivals.

Following Friday night’s contest, the Bruins return home for an Original Six matchup with Toronto on Saturday night. The Maple Leafs take a three-game losing streak into a home date with the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night, and are winless in their last three against the Bruins, including Boston’s 4-3 win at Air Canada Centre on Nov. 23.

Thumbnail photo via Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports Images