NHL Odds: Bruins Favored Vs. Penguins In Final Game Before All-Star Break
The Boston Bruins will look to record consecutive wins on home ice for the first time in over six weeks Thursday when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins as small home betting favorites on the NHL lines at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
With just four wins in their past 11 contests at TD Garden, the Bruins own the worst home record in the Eastern Conference at 11-12-0 heading into Thursday night?s Penguins vs. Bruins betting matchup.
The Bruins halted a four-game overall slide Tuesday, topping the Detroit Red Wings in a 4-3 overtime victory as -217 home chalk. That win came on the heels of back-to-back shutout defeats on home ice, including a 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders as -225 favorites and a narrow 1-0 defeat against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Despite their current woes at TD Garden, the Bruins continue to stay in contention for a playoff berth in the Atlantic, battling with the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs for second and third place in the division standings.
The Bruins, though, continue to slip on the odds to win the Stanley Cup, sitting at just +3300 heading into the All-Star break. That’s a dip from the +2800 odds they owned just prior to the Christmas break.
Things get no easier for the B’s against the Penguins, who handed them a 5-1 beating last weekend as -140 home chalk. That marked the second straight victory over Boston for the Pittsburgh, which will be playing without star forward Evgeni Malkin (lower body) on Thursday.
However, the Bruins have largely dominated in dates between these two rivals at TD Garden, with wins in six of their last seven meetings, and have outscored the Penguins by an 8-1 margin over their past two visits, including a 5-1 victory as a -120 favorite last February.
The Penguins travel to Boston after suffering their fourth shutout defeat of the season Tuesday, a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues as -191 favorites. That loss interrupted a four-game win streak in which Pittsburgh outscored opponents by a wide 24-10 margin.
While the Penguins have tallied wins in their past two road dates, they have been inconsistent throughout the season in games away from PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh has won just eight of 18 on the road since early November, according to the OddsShark NHL Database, and has failed to win more than two consecutive road games this season.
Following Thursday night?s contest, the Bruins will enjoy a four-day break before returning next week with a two-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports
