The Boston Bruins got the split they wanted in Tampa Bay and now return home to the TD Centre for Game 3 vs the Lightning tonight. The Bruins dropped the second game 4-2 on Monday and will be ecstatic to get back to Beantown where they have won 13 of their last 16 games. Boston opened as a -130 fave to take the edge in the second-round series.
SHARK BITES
The total has gone OVER in five of the Bruins’ last six games at home after consecutive road games.
The Lightning are 4-1 SU in their last five games with one day off between games.
Boston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home.
While the Bruins will be licking their wounds after the Game 2 loss, there are reasons for optimism in the Boston dressing room. They have outscored the Bolts 8-6 through two games and kept the Lightning’s top two scorers (Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos) off the board in both contests. But where the Bruins fell short in Game 2 was on the power play as they failed to convert any of their chances in a chippy first period where six penalties were called between both teams. But returning to the friendly confines of the TD Centre, the B’s should be heavily considered in tonight’s matchup as they’re 17-4 SU in the last 21 games when hosting the Lightning and are 37-14 SU in their last 51 games as a favorite.
On the flip side, the Lightning got huge contributions from their second line as Brayden Point was dominant in Game 2, scoring a goal and notching three assists in the winning effort. Although the Lightning are 2-4 SU in their last six road games, they finished with the second-best road record in the NHL this season and finished in the top five in goals scored and allowed in away games. This is only the ninth time all year that Tampa Bay is an underdog and the Bolts finished 6-3 SU in those contests.
In the goaltending realm for this matchup, Bolts goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been better than Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask through the playoffs but Rask at home has elevated his play as he sports a 2.26 goals-against average at TD Garden this season in 30 starts (including playoffs). That being said, the OVER may be the smart play as Boston is averaging 5.5 goals per game at home in the playoffs and the OVER has hit in four of their last six games at home.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The Boston Bruins were listed earlier today as -148 moneyline favorites at most sportsbooks tracked by OddsShark (including Sportsbook), while oddsmakers set the Sportsbook betting total around 6.
OddsShark score prediction models pick a 2.9-2.7 result in favor of the Lightning today. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
The Boston Bruins sport a record of 55-24-12 heading into this matchup, while the Tampa Bay Lightning sit at 59-25-5 on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 41-44-6 for the Bruins and 53-33-3 for the Lightning. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Boston vs Tampa Bay injuries news.
According to new NHL Power Rankings here at OddsShark, it's the No. 2-ranked Bruins and the No. 10-rated Lightning in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Boston Bruins' No. 4-ranked offense (3.34 goals per game) against a Tampa Bay Lightning defense that ranks No. 11 at 2.88 goals per game allowed. The Bruins power play has clicked at a 24.3% rate while the Lightning have a 76.55% rate on the penalty kill.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Betting Trends
Tampa Bay is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Boston is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games at home
Boston is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Tampa Bay
