The Boston Bruins will be trying to close the gap on the division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning when they visit the Florida Panthers on Thursday as -140 favorites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston is coming off a 6-4 come-from-behind victory in Carolina on Tuesday, and now sits just four points back of the Lightning with two games in hand going into Thursday night’s Bruins vs. Panthers betting matchup at BB&T Center.
The Bruins ended a three-game losing streak in style, burying five unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes of their victory over the Hurricanes as -137 betting favorites to improve to 7-1-0 in their past eight outings overall.
Tuesday’s late-game outburst marked the fourth time in seven games that Bruins shooters have potted six or more goals. However, the Bruins have struggled offensively in contests immediately following a high-scoring victory, averaging just 1.75 goals per game over their past four when scoring six or more in their previous outing.
That has produced uneven results in totals betting, with the OVER on a 6-6-0 run overall, while the UNDER has prevailed in seven of the club’s past 12 road dates.
The Bruins have scored two or fewer goals in four of seven on the road, but have outscored Florida by a 9-2 overall margin over their past three visits to South Florida, extending their win streak at BB&T Center to five games, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
The Panthers dropped a 5-2 decision to the visiting Ottawa Senators as heavy -218 favorites Monday night, and prepare for their first meeting of the season with the Bruins as +110 underdogs.
Monday’s loss put the brakes on an eight-game home win streak. Florida’s recent home surge has powered an impressive 15-4-1 run that has lifted it back into the Eastern Conference wild-card race. The Panthers offense has produced on home ice, averaging four goals per game over their past eight, but it is the UNDER that has consistently paid out in Florida’s recent home dates, going 6-3-0 over its past nine.
Following Thursday’s contest, the Bruins travel to Tampa Bay for a highly anticipated Saturday showdown with the Lightning. The club then returns home for a Monday matchup with Columbus before hitting the road for four games against Western Conference opponents.
The Bruins have taken six of seven from Tampa Bay. However, the Lightning have tallied 5.33 goals per game over their past six contests and sit as heavy -350 favorites on the odds to win the Atlantic Division, while Boston trails at +500.
