NHL Odds: Bruins Favored Over Lightning In Wednesday’s Game 3 Matchup
The Boston Bruins will try to rebound from a shaky performance in Game 2 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series with Tampa Bay when they return home to face the Lightning on Wednesday as -145 favorites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston seized home-ice advantage in the series with a decisive 6-2 victory in Game 1 as a +144 road wager, but took a step back while dropping a 4-2 decision in Game 2 as a +140 underdog to leave the series tied at one game apiece entering Wednesday night’s Lightning vs. Bruins Game 3 matchup at TD Garden.
Monday’s loss marked Boston’s worst outing to date during this postseason. The Bruins were outshot by a wide 31-20 margin, while goaltender Tuukka Rask suffered his second loss in three road dates with the Lightning since April 3.
However, the Bruins have enjoyed consistent success against Tampa Bay on home ice, posting three straight victories over the Lightning at TD Garden, while outgunning the reigning Atlantic Division champions by an 11-4 margin during that stretch.
With those victories, Boston owns a 9-3-0 record in 12 meetings with the Lightning, a stretch that features a trio of shutout wins. As well, the Bruins now are small -120 favorites on the NHL playoff series prices, ahead of the +125 odds the club sported ahead of Game 1.
The Lightning travel to Boston pegged as +125 underdogs for Wednesday’s contest and have produced uneven results on the road of late, with just two wins in their past six contests away from Amalie Arena.
With the exception of a 7-3 rout of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 30, the Lightning have struggled to find the back of the net during their six-game road swoon, scoring two or fewer goals on four occasions, including a 5-2 loss to New Jersey as -137 road chalk in Game 3 of their first-round series with the Devils.
While Tampa Bay rebounded with a 3-1 win in its subsequent meeting with the Devils, the club has battled with inconsistency in playoff road games in recent years, averaging just 2.17 goals per game while going 7-6 in 13 outings since their last Stanley Cup final appearance in 2015.
With the Lightning needing to earn at least one win in Boston to claim victory in the series, they now trail as +100 underdogs on the NHL series prices but are knotted with the Bruins as a +500 wager on the Stanley Cup odds.
