The Boston Bruins will be looking to win three games in a row for the first time in almost two months when they return home Tuesday to face the Arizona Coyotes as -180 favorites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston is coming off consecutive wins over Atlantic Division rivals capped by Sunday’s 2-1 overtime victory in Ottawa that pulled the team within two points of the third-place Buffalo Sabres in the division standings going into Tuesday night’s matchup at TD Garden.
Sunday’s win over the Senators as -160 chalk came on the heels of a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs as +115 home underdogs, and marked a turnaround for the Bruins after falling to defeat in three of their previous four contests.
While the Bruins are enjoying success against divisional rivals, they have struggled in recent dates with Western Conference opponents, posting wins in just four of 11 meetings this season.
Goal production also remains a concern, with Bruins shooters tallying two or fewer goals in 10 of the club’s last 12 outings, including three home dates prior to Saturday night’s rout of the Maple Leafs.
However, the Bruins have owned the Coyotes in recent years, claiming 13 straight victories over Arizona since October 2010, including a 2-1 victory in the club’s most recent trip to the desert just over three weeks ago.
The Coyotes limp into Boston pegged as +145 underdogs at sports betting sites after seeing a four-game surge halted with home losses to the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks. Arizona has been prone to streakiness during the first two months of the campaign. The Coyotes have enjoyed a pair of winning streaks lasting at least four games but endured a 2-6-2 run in November.
Despite their uneven play, the Coyotes have produced respectable results on the road. Arizona has allowed just four total goals in three straight road wins, lifting the team’s road record to a 7-5-1.
However, the Coyotes have plenty of work to do to return to the playoff picture in the Western Conference, where they trail the Vegas Golden Knights by seven points in the wild-card race, and lag as a distant +1600 wager on the odds to win the Pacific Division.
Following Tuesday night’s contest the Bruins travel to Pittsburgh for a Friday night date with the Penguins before returning home for a key matchup with Buffalo on Sunday. The Bruins have surrendered five goals per game in three straight losses in Pittsburgh, and also are winless in their past two home meetings with the Sabres.
