The Tampa Bay Lightning (15-11-3) host the Boston Bruins (20-6-6) Thursday at Amalie Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. We analyze the Bruins-Lightning odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.
Bruins at Lightning: Projected starting goalies
Tuukka Rask vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy
Rask, the confirmed starter, is 13-3-3 through 19 starts, carries a 2.19 goals against average, .927 save percentage and two shutouts into this matchup. He gave up three goals to the Ottawa Senators Monday, stopping 23-of-26 shots in the loss.
Vasilevskiy sports a .910 SV% and 2.82 GAA on the season through 21 starts. He has won three of four December starts, with victories in his last two outings. He stopped 27 of 28 shots in a 2-1 win against the Florida Panthers Tuesday.
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Bruins at Lightning: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Thursday at 9:45 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Boston 5, Tampa Bay 4
Moneyline (ML)
Boston (+125) is coming off a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals last night and is winless (0-3-1) in its last four. The Bruins won’t have rest on their side like the Lightning (-150), who won 2-1 over Florida Tuesday night.
Boston is 8-5-1 on the road and 6-3-1 in their last 10 games overall, while Tampa Bay is just 7-6-1 at home and 5-4-1 over their last 10. I’m bucking the recent Bruins’ trends; BOSTON (+125) is too talented to push the winless skid to five and plus money against a team struggling at home is a value I like to target.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the underdog Bruins to win outright returns a $12.50 profit with a victory in regulation, overtime or a shootout.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
I’m rarely a fan of puck lines; Tampa Bay (-1.5, +165) keeps that tradition alive. Boston (+1.5, -200) has lost by at least three goals in two of its last four games, while six of Tampa Bay’s last 10 have been decided by just one goal. PASS.
Over/Under (O/U)
The tax rate on the OVER 5.5 (-150) is higher than I like, but it’s worth considering for a mid-range wager. Boston is 8-6-0 vs. the Over on the road, while Tampa Bay is 10-3-1 at home. Both of these teams have the talent to light the lamp regularly, with the Bruins averaging 3.5 goals per game and the Lightning averaging 3.6 GPG.
Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Ryan’s NHL picks record: 4-8
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