The Boston Bruins will be looking to claim their first win over Anaheim in over five years when they host the Ducks on Thursday as -165 favorites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston has fallen to defeat in nine straight meetings with the Ducks, including losses in four straight home dates with Anaheim ahead of Thursday night’s Ducks vs. Bruins betting matchup at TD Garden.
Goals have been rare during the Bruins’ swoon against Anaheim, as Boston shooters have averaged just 1.88 goals per game during an 0-8-1 run against the Ducks. The Bruins’ struggles against Anaheim on home ice predate their current losing slide, with the club posting just one win in seven visits since 2009, a 3-2 shootout victory in October 2013.
The Bruins also have had difficulty generating offense this season, but return home after turning in a dominating performance in a 4-0 victory in Montreal against the Canadiens on Monday night. With the win as +125 underdogs, the Bruins put the brakes on a two-game slide and now have scored four or more goals in three of their past six outings.
That marks a dramatic turnaround from the club’s previous 11 games, in which they averaged just 1.82 goals per game including just two goals per game on home ice. Despite regularly engaging in low-scoring affairs, the Bruins have produced mixed results in totals betting, with the OVER going 6-6-0 in the club’s past 12 contests according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
The Ducks continue a six-game eastern swing when they arrive in Boston pegged as +135 underdogs. Anaheim dropped a 3-1 decision in New York as a +135 wager at betting sites Tuesday night but the team has otherwise played its best hockey of the season of late, winning 11 of 14 to climb to 43 points and a share of second place in the Pacific Division.
While the Ducks have scored just two goals per game over the first three dates on their current road trip, they have otherwise found their groove offensively during their current hot streak, scoring four or more goals in five of eight contests. Anaheim also has averaged four goals per game during a 4-0-0 run at TD Garden and has won six of seven on the road overall, all as betting underdogs, ending a six-game road losing streak.
Following Thursday night’s date with the Ducks, the Bruins await the arrival of another tough Western Conference opponent as the Nashville Predators visit Saturday. Boston has dropped five of seven to the Predators, but is 7-1-0 in eight home meetings since 2003.
