Bruins’ Stanley Cup Odds Climbing Entering Brutal Ducks-Kings Back-To-Back
The Boston Bruins kicked off a crucial four-game road trip with a 3-2 loss in San Jose on Tuesday but continue their climb up the odds to win the Stanley Cup, improving to 16-1 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The loss to the Sharks ended a four-game winning streak on the road and an impressive 11-2 run in contests away from TD Garden that has vaulted the Bruins into a three-way battle in the Atlantic Division standings, one point ahead of the third-place Tampa Bay Lightning and one point back of the first-place Florida Panthers.
Boston continues its tough Western swing this weekend with stops in Anaheim and Los Angeles before heading back east for a date with the New York Rangers next Wednesday.
The Bruins have posted only one win over their past three contests overall but have responded well to adversity in recent weeks, following up each of their past eight defeats with a victory going into Friday night’s Ducks matchup at Honda Center.
Back in December, the Bruins embarked on a brutal 2-8 run that threatened their playoff hopes and sank their Stanley Cup betting odds to 33-1 at the sportsbooks. But they have picked up 18 wins in 29 games since, losing consecutive games only once during that stretch.
The Ducks ended a three-game skid by handing the New Jersey Devils a 7-1 beating Monday. Before that slide, Anaheim looked unstoppable, going on a sizzling 20-3 run to climb back into the Western Conference playoff picture and lifting its Stanley Cup odds from a distant 28-1 to its current position at a short 15-2.
The Ducks also have dominated Boston in recent meetings, coming out on top in four straight and seven of their past nine, including a lopsided 6-2 victory Jan. 26 at TD Garden.
Before their date with the Bruins on Saturday, the Kings put a two-game winning streak on the line when they battle the Rangers on Thursday as -165 favorites on the NHL betting lines.
Los Angeles sits atop the Pacific Division standings with 89 points after posting wins in nine of its past 12 and is a solid 7-2 in its past nine games at Staples Center, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
The Kings also handed Boston its worst loss in eight years, claiming a 9-2 victory Feb. 9 at TD Garden, and are 4-1 in their last five at home against the Bruins.
Thumbnail photo via John Hefti/USA TODAY Sports Images
