NHL Odds: Bruins Big Favorite Vs. Slumping Islanders As B’s Schedule Gets Busy
The Boston Bruins open a busy week looking for wins in consecutive games for the first time in two weeks when they host the struggling New York Islanders on Tuesday night as -165 betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston halted a three-game losing streak on home ice with a 1-0 win over Los Angeles as -145 chalk on Sunday and sits in third place in the Atlantic Division standings ahead of Tuesday night’s Islanders vs. Bruins betting matchup at TD Garden.
The Bruins surrendered four goals in each of their past five defeats, including home losses to the Colorado Avalanche and the Toronto Maple Leafs as heavy home favorites, and have mustered just one goal in three of their past five contests.
The Islanders limp into Boston searching for an end to a five-game losing streak. New York is coming off a lopsided 6-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators as -147 home favorites on Saturday and has surrendered 4.8 goals per game during its current swoon.
The road has been particularly tough for the Islanders, who have claimed just two victories away from the Barclays Center this season. Not surprisingly, New York sits dead last in the NHL in goals per game on the road at a feeble 2.00.
The Islanders have also been dominated in recent clashes with Boston, losing six of their past seven meetings according to the OddsShark NHL Database. That includes losses in their past two visits to TD Garden, scoring a single goal in each of those contests.
Following Tuesday night’s date with New York, the Bruins embark on a lengthy stretch with nine of their next 11 games on the road including a visit to Florida to face the Panthers on Thursday, before taking on the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.
The Panthers return home for a Tuesday night matchup with the Buffalo Sabres at BB&T Center after wrapping up a three-game western road swing with a 3-1 win Colorado as narrow +105 underdogs. But Florida has claimed wins in just four of its last 13 games and has failed to post back-to-back wins in a month.
Florida has dropped five of six to the Bruins including three straight on home ice. The Bruins have also claimed victory in three of their last four road dates with Carolina, but have lost seven of their last eight in the second game when playing on back-to-back nights.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
