After a slight hiccup to kick off 2020, the Boston Bruins have righted the ship and once again look like Stanley Cup favorites as they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. The Bruins have reeled off three consecutive victories following a three-game losing skid, and will be looking to end a rough stretch in their recent head-to-head history against the Flyers.
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Bruins opened at -127, but bettors will find them anywhere from -130 to -135 depending on the book. The total sits at 5.5.
Boston News & Notes
As if the Bruins weren’t dangerous enough – they’re +850 to win the championship – they’ve developed one of the league’s most consistently potent power plays as well. Patrice Bergeron’s man-advantage goal 1:33 into overtime in Saturday’s 3-2 triumph over the New York Islanders extended Boston’s streak of games with a power-play tally to a club-record 13 contests.
But for everything that Boston has done to rise to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, it has had all sorts of problems against the Flyers in recent encounters, dropping three straight meetings and five of the past six. That includes consecutive home defeats, including a 3-2 shootout defeat the last time these teams met back on November 11.
Philadelphia News & Notes
The Flyers have looked nothing like a team capable of handling the powerhouse Bruins with ease. Philadelphia comes in having lost five of its previous six games, most recently a 1-0 defeat to the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning that leaves the Flyers on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture as we approach the all-star break later this month.
But take heart, Flyers fans: things are about to get better, at least from an opportunity standpoint. Philadelphia will play four of its next five games at Wells Fargo Center, where it has posted an impressive 14-3-4 record and a league-best plus-1.67 average goal differential. Philadelphia’s 1.90 home goals-against average is also tops in the NHL.
Betting Pick: UNDER
The Flyers have proven capable of keeping the Bruins’ high-powered offense at bay – and while they aren’t a good bet to light up the scoreboard themselves, they should make this one a low-scoring affair.