The Boston Bruins (38-5-4) make the 2nd stop of a 5-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning (30-15-1) Thursday at Amalie Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Bruins vs. Lightning odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Bruins enter on a 6-game winning streak, including a 4-2 win in Montreal to kick off this 5-game road odyssey. Boston has picked up at least 1 point in 20 of the previous 21 games.
The Lightning doubled up the Minnesota Wild 4-2 on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena, stopping a 2-game losing streak. Overall, Tampa Bay has won 6 of the last 8 games.
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Bruins at Lightning odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:29 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Bruins -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Lightning -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Bruins -1.5 (+200) | Lightning +1.5 (-250)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +110 | U: -130)
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Bruins at Lightning projected goalies
Linus Ullmark (25-2-1, 1.82 GAA, .938 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (21-12-1, 2.54 GAA, .917 SV%)
Ullmark, considered the favorite for the Vezina Trophy, just hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He has won his last 3 outings, including a 4-0 shutout against the visiting San Jose Sharks last time out on Sunday.
Vasilevskiy has posted an impressive 13-4-1 record with a 2.50 GAA and .921 SV% in 18 home starts, but he has managed an 0-2-0 record, 3.60 GAA and .870 SV% in his 2 appearances against the Bruins this season.
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Bruins at Lightning picks and predictions
Prediction
Bruins 3, Lightning 2
Moneyline
The BRUINS (-115) are the play in this Atlantic Division showdown.
Boston has won the 1st 2 meetings this season, including a 5-3 win on Nov. 21 in a showdown between Ullmark and Vasilevskiy.
The B’s are 16-5 in the last 21 games on the road, and 22-6 in the last 28 games against teams with a winning overall record. Keep backing Boston until it cools off significantly.
Puck line/Against the spread
The Lightning +1.5 (-250) will cost you 2 1/2 times your potential return, and that’s just too expensive if you need some insurance. If you like Tampa, just play it straight up for a much better value.
AVOID.
Over/Under
The UNDER 6.5 (-130) is the best play on the board in this game.
The Under has cashed in 6 of the last 8 meetings in this series, while going 3-0-2 in the last 5 games for the Bruins. The Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 games against Atlantic Division foes for the Lightning, while going 6-2-1 in the last 9 inside the Eastern Conference, too.
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