Bruins vs Penguins Odds & Picks: Pittsburgh Favored In Crucial Matchup

The Pittsburgh Penguins (43-23-11) will try to get back on track Thursday when they host the Boston Bruins (47-24-5) as small home favorites at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. The Bruins vs Penguins prediction has the visitors as the higher-ranked team after winning consecutive games for the first time since April 4 while the hosts have lost two of three and six of eight, as their lead for third place in their division has disappeared.

Bruins vs Penguins Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds 

Both of these teams are fighting to finish in third place in their division or better so they can avoid playing the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference as wild cards. Boston is hoping to overtake a struggling Tampa Bay Lightning squad in the Atlantic, as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions appear to be wearing down a bit down the stretch.

Meanwhile, in the Metropolitan, Pittsburgh is looking to hold off a hot Washington Capitals club that picked up another crucial point on the road Wednesday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Bruins have gotten more early love, with the line dropping as low as -111 in a virtual pick’em before seeing the Penguins rise up to -115. 

Get the best Bruins vs Penguins odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.

Boston Going for Third Straight Victory, Second in a Row Over Pittsburgh

The Bruins have rebounded nicely from a tough three-game skid, putting together big back-to-back wins over the Penguins and St. Louis Blues to pull within one point of the Lightning for third place in the Atlantic Division. The Capitals are also just two points behind them for the top wild-card spot, although they have a game in hand here.

Boston has been involved in numerous low-scoring games lately too, with the UNDER going 4-0-2 in the team’s last six games. The two pushes were both losses by identical 4-2 scores, and the Bruins have gone 8-1 in their past nine games that have dipped below the total. 

Penguins Facing Pressure From Capitals as Teams Now Tied in Standings 

Pittsburgh has the exact same record as Washington and is heading in the opposite direction, something the team would obviously like to change before the end of the regular season. While the Penguins are a veteran bunch who have won two Cups within the last decade, they want to give themselves the best possible matchup come playoff time.

Pittsburgh has exited the postseason after the Sportsbook round in each of the past three years, finishing third in the Metropolitan Division twice during that stretch. The Bruins vs Penguins prediction might see the hosts as only small favorites, but they have not dropped two straight games in this series over the past eight meetings.

Bruins vs Penguins Pick & Insights

Bruins: Keys To Victory

Boston needs to hold Pittsburgh to two goals or less in order to win, or at least that’s what recent betting trends tell us. The Bruins have won 17 consecutive games when holding opponents to two or less dating back to February 19. Likewise, the opposition has scored three goals or more in their last nine losses and four or more in seven of those. So Boston must play a solid defensive game to earn the win.

Penguins: Keys To Victory

Pittsburgh has suffered similar defensive issues in its losses lately, yet this is still an explosive offensive team that can break out at any time. It is important to remember these teams have alternated wins and losses in the past nine meetings. With Boston winning the last matchup, that means Pittsburgh is due to rebound, right? If you are taking the hosts with your Bruins vs Penguins pick, then you are counting on that trend to continue.

Odds Shark’s Computer Bruins vs Penguins Prediction: Bruins +105 ML

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