NHL Odds: Bruins Narrow Betting Favorites At Home Vs. Lightning

The Boston Bruins will be gunning for a sixth straight victory on home ice when they play host to the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night as slender -115 favorites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Boston picked up a decisive 4-1 win over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, and now has posted outright wins in 10 of 12 overall contests going into Thursday night’s Lightning vs. Bruins betting matchup at TD Garden.

The Bruins have managed to move past Toronto in the Atlantic Division standings during their recent surge, and hold a one-point lead over the Maple Leafs. The team has also vaulted up the Stanley Cup odds while picking up at least a single point in 14 straight games, climbing from +2000 in late January to its current position just trailing the front of the pack at +1100.

Boston has built its recent impressive run on solid defense. The Bruins have surrendered just 2.08 goals per game over their past 12 contests, while giving up one or fewer goals on five occasions. That stinginess has contributed to a current 3-0 run for the UNDER in totals betting. However, the team has produced uneven results on the totals in recent home dates, with the UNDER going 6-4-1 over their past 11, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.

The Bruins also face a massive challenge in their bid to end a five-game losing streak against Tampa Bay, dating back to their second-round series with the Lightning in last spring’s NHL playoffs, which they lost in five games. Boston dropped a 3-2 road decision to the Lightning back in December, in the only previous meeting between these teams this season.

However, the Bruins have held a clear upper hand when facing the Lightning in regular-season clashes on home ice. Boston has held Tampa Bay to just four total goals in three straight wins, and has posted wins in 14 of 17 dates with the Lightning at TD Garden since March 2010.

The Lightning arrive in Boston as razor-thin -110 underdogs after escaping with a 4-3 overtime win over the New York Rangers as -230 road favorites on Wednesday. With the victory, the Lightning ride their first 10-game win streak in the franchise’s 27-year history, and sport a massive 17-point lead over the second-place Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings.

The Lightning have tallied 4.5 goals per game and a 6-3-1 run for the OVER during their historic win streak, while maintaining their perch as +225 favorites on the Stanley Cup odds.