Bruins Focus: Odds, Preview For Games Vs. Devils, Wild, Lightning
The Bruins are back in action Tuesday night
The Boston Bruins are winners of two straight and look to carry that momentum into a three-game week that features some tough opponents.
Boston begins the week at home against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday before welcoming the Minnesota Wild to TD Garden. The Bruins then wrap up against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The B’s will be without Jake DeBrusk after the forward entered COVID-19 protocol Tuesday morning.
Let’s check out the schedule for this week:
Tuesday, Jan. 4 vs. New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Jan. 6 vs. Minnesota Wild, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Jan. 8 at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m. ET
What Bruins fans need to know
The Bruins appear to have found a bit of a groove after their 16-day layoff. They’re riding a two-game win streak heading into Tuesday’s game thanks to victories over the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings. The B’s scored nine goals during that stretch and even appeared to work out some power-play woes Sunday after going 0-for-4 on Saturday.
The Devils also have won their last two games, both coming in overtime, against the Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals. They are 4-6-0 in their last 10.
The Wild, meanwhile, have lost five straight, including the 2022 Winter Classic against the St. Louis Blues. Running into a Bruins team that looks bound to get hot certainly doesn’t bode well for Minnesota, but it’s fair to assume the team will return to form at some point.
The Lightning continue to stay atop the Atlantic Division standings but have lost their last three games which has included a 4-0 shutout at the hands of the New York Rangers and an ugly 9-3 defeat by the Florida Panthers. Tampa has to face the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames before welcoming Boston to Amalie Arena to round out the week.
Who Bruins need to look out for
Nico Hischier (Devils) — Hischier had a two-goal game in New Jersey’s overtime win against the Capitals. The forward doesn’t always light up the scoresheet, but he’s not afraid to take shots on net and knows how to find open teammates for the assist. He’s pegged at +330 to score at any point during Tuesday’s game at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Kirill Kaprizov (Wild) — Kaprizov leads the Wild in points and assists and shows no signs of slowing down offensively. He had a three-point night at Target Field with a goal and an assist against the Blues in the Winter Classic.
Ondrej Palat (Lightning) — Palat has four points in Tampa Bay’s last two games despite the Lightning dropping both of them. He has points in four of their last five games.
Odds
DraftKings Sportsbook has the Bruins as -260 favorites on the moneyline, with the over-under set at 5.5 goals. Brad Marchand is +135 to score, while Charlie Coyle, who’s looked good in his last two games, is +255. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, Erik Haula is +340 to light the lamp.
