B’s holding off Penguins atop Atlantic
NHL: Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Odds
The Boston Bruins (46-18-15, 107 points) head to Western Pennsylvania to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins (37-30-12, 86 points) with enormous playoff implications. The Bruins lead the Atlantic Division by one with a game in hand over the Florida Panthers (106 points).
The Penguins are hanging on to the last wild card spot over the Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, and the Philadelphia Flyers who are one point behind the Pens. NHL betting lines show Boston as a -117 favorite with a total of 6 (under -116).
The puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT from PPG Paints Arena and can be seen on ABC and ESPN+. Let’s get into our Bruins vs Penguins odds preview.
Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins 
Day/Time:
Location: PPG Paints Arena
Streaming: ABC & ESPN+
Bruins Riding Star Goaltending Tandem
We talk about depth a lot this time of year, but usually, that conversation is saved for a dissection of forward lines. In Boston, Jim Montgomery’s team can point to their depth between the pipes as a reason the Bruins are in line to make a deep run in the postseason.
Jeremy Swayman (25-9-8, 2.56, .915) and Linus Ullmark (21-9-7, 2,55, .916) form a tandem that is fifth in the NHL in goals against, third in the East. You would think that would make Boston an easy wager on a nightly basis but that hasn’t been the way it’s played out with the B’s down 2.22 units this season.
They’ve been especially unreliable as a favorite with a 38-27 record but in the red -5.09 units. This will be the game to break a 1-1 head-to-head deadlock, but after a season sweep last year, Boston has won four of the last five meetings.
The Bruins are currently ranked seventh in our latest power rankings and fourth in the East making them one of the NHL’s best teams heading into the postseason.
Penguins Run Has Them On The Brink Of The Postseason
It was just a couple of weeks ago when the Pittsburgh Penguins were 30-30-9 and out of the postseason. Since Mike Sullivan’s team is 7-0-2 while the rest of the wild card contenders were spinning their wheels or running off the road.
The reason for the resurgence was simply the play of Sidney Crosby (41-48-89) who has eight goals and 12 assists in his last 10 games and is once again among the NHL point leaders with his best goal production since 2016-17 when the 8-time all-star potted 44 goals.
If the season ended today, it would be the 36-year-old eighth-best season in terms of overall points. For bettors, Pittsburgh is still way underwater with 11.21 units lost and just 123-120 (-31.37 units) since the 2021 season.
Bruins To Put A Stranglehold On Panthers
After being shown the door in the first round of the playoffs last year by the Florida Panthers, this year the Bruins are peaking at the right time. This number has always been a friend to the betting public with -117 favorites winning 139 times against 96 losses (+22.85 units).
We know the number will move so let’s expand that to -115 to 120. We find better results with favorites owning an 833-683 record (+25.72 units). This is the sweet spot that we handicappers look for and we’re all over it making our official selection Boston -117.
That does it for our Bruins vs Penguins odds preview, all the best with your NHL picks and parlays on the final weekend of the season.
For NHL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
