NHL Odds: Bruins-Rangers Rematch Should Be Low-Scoring Affair At MSG

Rangers want no part of a track meet against B's

by

Feb 12, 2021

Game style and pace of play are everything in a hockey game.

We?ve ridden the wave on ?Overs? and ?Unders? with the Boston Bruins this season and are on a pretty decent run to date. The B?s are like a chameleon -- they can play at any style.

They?ve slugged it out with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins and raced around the rink with the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. And sure they?ve needed some heroic third periods, but who can fault a team that?s 9-1-2 through the first 12 games?

?Boston is dangerous,? longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Dave Sharapan told NESN. ?They?re finally getting healthy in the forward group and we still haven?t seen them at full strength with all their guys. That goalie combination is superb and the younger guys are really stepping up on the blue line.?

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas shortened the B?s odds all the way down to 8-to-1 to win the Stanley Cup earlier this week. That means a $100 bet on the Bruins wins you $800 and pays out $900 at Westgate.

Other American sportsbooks have followed suit and the best price you can find around the country right now is 11-to-1 at FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM. The Bruins opened as high as 16-to-1 in the offseason.

I?m feeling another ?Under? Friday night between the B?s and New York Rangers. Expect these two teams to play a responsible game on the back end and turn up the physicality. Maybe we even get a scrap with Connor Clifton. There shouldn't be much open ice to make plays.

Also, the Rangers are the best ?Under? team in the league at 9-3. They?re really struggling to roll four lines and aside from their top line with Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin, the offense has certainly lacked jump in the early going.

It also helps that Panarin will not play tonight at Madison Square Garden due to a lower-body injury. He currently leads the Rangers in points, goals and assists.

Jaroslav Halak has been nails between the pipes, allowing only seven pucks to touch twine in four games. Always beware of the hot backup goalie with something to prove. We also get New York?s best goalie Igor Shesterkin, who hasn?t given up more than two goals since Jan. 24 against Pittsburgh.

Let?s roll with the ?Under? at plus money.

BOS-NYR Under 5.5 goals (+100)

RECORD: (19-10-1, +7.8)

Predict the Game returns to NESN on Friday night. Our first question goes live at 6:30 p.m. ET on ?Bruins Face-Off Live? and throughout the night, you?ll see predictive hockey questions to answer on our broadcast. The participant who scores the most points during the B?s-Rangers game will win $500.

Head over to NESN.com/PredictTheGame to create your account now.

It?s free to play and free to win!

Thumbnail photo via John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Images

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