The Boston Bruins will be looking to bounce back from their first loss in regulation since mid-December when they host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday as -140 favorites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston extended its winless streak against Anaheim with a 3-1 loss to the visiting Ducks as -125 chalk on Tuesday. That defeat halted a five-game win streak, and also marked the club’s second loss in four home contests ahead of Thursday night’s Blues vs. Bruins betting matchup at TD Garden.
The Bruins remain one of the hottest teams in the NHL, going 14-1-3 while avoiding consecutive losses over their past 18 games, and have climbed into striking distance of the Atlantic-leading Tampa Bay Lightning, whom they trail by just five points in the division standings with three games in hand.
With 71 points through 50 games, the Lightning also lead the overall NHL standings, and continue to sit atop the Stanley Cup odds, where they are joined by the Vegas Golden Knights as +600 favorites. However, the Bruins have closed the gap on the championship favorites, and now sit as a +750 Stanley Cup wager after opening the campaign at a lengthy +3500.
The Blues travel to Boston after topping the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 as -178 home favorites on Tuesday to extend their current win streak to three games. The St. Louis defense has stood tall during the club’s current 5-1-0 run. The Blues have held opponents to just four total goals over their past five victories, including wins over Toronto and Ottawa in their past two road contests, ending a dismal 1-5-1 road stretch.
St. Louis has also enjoyed considerable success in recent visits to TD Garden, picking up the win in eight of its past nine road dates with the Bruins, and has surrendered more than two goals on just two occasions during that stretch.
However, it was the Bruins that emerged victorious the last time these teams met. Boston tallied a 5-3 win as a +102 underdog at Scottrade Center in January 2017, and has averaged 4.33 goals per game over its past three matchups with the Blues.
Following Thursday’s contest, the Bruins wrap up a three-game home stand with a visit from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
The third-place Maple Leafs have struggled to keep pace in the Atlantic Division race during Boston’s recent 18-game point streak, but have posted six straight wins over the Bruins, and have also earned two points in each of their past four visits to TD Garden.
