The Columbus Blue Jackets (22-16-8) host Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins (27-8-12) Tuesday at Nationwide Arena for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Bruins-Blue Jackets sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
It was Marchand’s bizarre shootout gaffe Monday which led to Boston’s 6-5 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. He simply whiffed on picking up the puck at center ice.
Bruins at Blue Jackets: Projected starting goalies
Tuukka Rask vs. Elvis Merzlikins
Rask received the night off Monday for the first half of the Bruins’ back-to-back. He remains 17-4-6 on the year with a 2.27 goals against average and .925 save percentage.
The rookie Merzlikins has won three of his last five games. The 25-year-old is 5-6-4 through 17 games (15 starts) with a 2.70 GAA and .915 SV%. He’s coming off his first NHL shutout Saturday when he stopped all 27 shots faced against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Bruins at Blue Jackets: 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 at 11 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Blue Jackets 3, Bruins 2
Moneyline (ML)
The BLUE JACKETS (+125) are in a nice spot as home underdogs against a team that went the distance on the road Monday. The Bruins (-150) have the luxury of being able to turn starting duties over to Rask, but they’ve been playing a lot of free hockey of late with seven of their last 13 games going at least to overtime.
Columbus is 12-9-2 at home for the season and 6-2-2 across its last 10 games. Boston is 12-6-3 on the road and 6-1-3 across its last 10 contests. The Jackets claimed a 2-1 overtime victory Jan. 2 in the season’s first head-to-head clash. Take the value.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Jackets to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $12.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Play it safe and get some easy insurance Monday by backing the BLUE JACKETS (+1.5, -228) to either lose by just 1 goal or win outright. Columbus is 25-21 against the spread overall, but just 8-15 on home ice. Boston is 21-26 ATS overall, but 11-10 on the road. Just one of the Jackets’ last six losses was decided by more than 1 goal and the Bruins have been involved in nine 1-goal games in their last 13 outings.
Over/Under (O/U)
Take the UNDER 5.5 (-134) following the Bruins’ 11-goal combined total Monday against the Flyers. Rask will stabilize things in net for the visitors, while the Jackets have gone just 2-8 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 164-150
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