NHL Odds: Bruins’ Stingy Defense Rewarding Under Bettors During Hot Streak
The Boston Bruins open a two-game road trip Tuesday night when they travel to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Red Wings in a clash of Original Six rivals.
Boston is coming off a decisive 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs as -130 betting favorites on Saturday, lifting the team to 7-1-0 in its past eight games going into Tuesday night’s Bruins vs. Red Wings betting matchup at Little Caesars Arena.
The Bruins have continued to stymie opposing shooters, giving up just 13 total goals during their eight-game tear, and have now seen the UNDER prevail in eight of their past nine outings, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
Goaltender Tuukka Rask has been spectacular between the pipes, going 18-0-2 over his past 20 starts. The Finnish star has surrendered just eight total goals over his past six starts, padding a minuscule 2.07 goals-against average, but continues to lag on the NHL awards odds as a long +2500 bet to win a second career Vezina Trophy.
After finishing a first-half schedule heavy on home dates, the Bruins play eight of their next 10 games away from TD Garden. The road has been kind to Boston so far this season, as the Bruins have picked up wins in four straight away games, fueling a 12-1-2 run.
The Red Wings return home after falling 3-2 to the Florida Panthers on Saturday as +136 road underdogs. Consistency has been a big problem for Detroit, which has tallied wins in just one of its last six home dates, and scored two or fewer goals in each of the seven losses over its past 12 games.
The Red Wings have found ways to contain opposing offenses in recent victories, outgunning opponents by a 23-6 margin over their past six wins, but they will have their hands full against a Bruins squad that has beaten them in four straight meetings.
Boston notched a 3-2 victory as a -140 road favorite in its last visit to Detroit on Dec. 13, and followed up 10 days later with a 3-1 win at TD Garden as a -189 bet on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Following Tuesday’s contest, the Bruins travel to New York for a Wednesday night tilt with the fading Rangers before returning home for a Saturday night date with the Buffalo Sabres.
The Rangers remain within striking distance of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot despite recently tumbling into the Metropolitan Division basement. However, New York has fallen to defeat in five straight meetings with Boston at Madison Square Garden, and is winless in seven overall dates with the Bruins.
