The Boston Bruins hit the road Friday with a chip on their shoulder for Game 3 of their 1st-round series against the Florida Panthers. Puck drop at FLA Live Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Bruins vs. Panthers odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Series: Tied 1-1
The Panthers shocked the Bruins at home 6-3 in Game 2 to steal home-ice advantage. The teams traded goals in the 2nd period before Florida unleashed a 4-goal onslaught in the 3rd period. Boston had only lost 1 game at home by multiple goals all year. The Bruins won their last 8 at home and 15 of their last 16 before the Panthers took Game 2.
Boston learned how quickly Florida can turn the tables. Boston actually outshot the Panthers 37 to 30 in Game 2. We also learned Bruins captain C Patrice Bergeron is dealing with an upper-body injury that he suffered in the last game of the season and is no longer sidelined for illness; he remains questionable for Game 3.
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Bruins at Panthers Game 3 odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Bruins -155 (bet $155 to win $100) | Panthers +130 (bet $100 to win $130)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Bruins -1.5 (+155) | Panthers +1.5 (-190)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -120 | U: +100)
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Bruins at Panthers Game 3 projected goalies
Linus Ullmark (40-6-1, 1.89 GAA, .938 SV%, 2 SO – regular season) vs. Alex Lyon (9-4-2, 2.89 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO – regular season)
Ullmark struggled in Game 2, stopping 24 of 29 shots. None of the goals were on the power play. Ullmark was 2-0 with a 3.01 GAA and .925 SV% in 2 starts against Florida in the regular season. Though he’s 29, Ullmark only has 4 playoff starts under his belt now, which is something to keep in mind if he struggles again.
Lyon was solid in Game 2 after looking a little lost at times in the 1st game. He stopped 34 of 37 shots and has allowed 3 goals in each tilt. He stopped 38 of 40 shots in his only regular season game against the B’s this year. This is also his first taste of the playoffs, and he should expect more pressure in Game 3.
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Bruins at Panthers Game 3 picks and predictions
Prediction
Panthers 4, Bruins 3
Moneyline
The Panthers were 23-13-5 on home ice this year. Look for a chippy game as both teams have jawed at one another. The Bruins had the best penalty kill in hockey this season at 87.3%, and the Panthers will try to test it in this one. This game is a toss-up, but Boston is still heavily favored. The home team is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings. We’ll take the value with PANTHERS (+130).
Puck line/Against the spread
The Panthers were just 16-25 on the puck line at home this year. Only 3 games in the last 10 between these teams were decided by 1 goal, but you’ll have to pay -400 to have a goal of insurance with Boston. I’m also not a fan of paying -190 for a goal of insurance with the Panthers.
PASS.
Over/Under
Five of the last 6 meetings have gone Over 6. The Over is 10-1 in Boston’s last 11 road games and 4-1 in the last 5 overall. Expect a fiery game with a lot of goal horns.
Take the OVER 6 (-120).
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