Panthers Are the Best Bet to Win in Boston Again
After Two Straight Dominant Wins, the Panthers vs Bruins Odds Favors Visiting Florida
For the First Time in 16 Years, Boston Is a Home Dog in Consecutive Games
The Boston Bruins won’t have to be worried about squandering a 3-1 series lead to the Florida Panthers for the second season in a row after being blown out by their Atlantic Division rivals for the second game in a row.
The Bruins lost at home in the playoffs by at least four goals for just the second time in the last 18 games.
The Bruins had won the first five meetings with the Panthers this season after a 5-1 victory on the road in the series opener but have been outscored 12-3 in the last two games.
The NHL odds have Florida priced at -150 to take its third consecutive game in the series. The best value could be the +180 odds for the Panthers to win by at least two goals and to cover at -1.5 on the puck line. Boston is currently at +130 to even the series with a win in Game 4.
Florida is second behind the New York Rangers at +320 in the odds of winning the Stanley Cup with Boston coming in sixth at +1800 in the championship odds.
Panthers vs Bruins 
Date & Time:
Records: Panthers 52-24-6/Bruins 47-20-15
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Streaming: TNT
Panthers Turn on Power
Florida had four power-play goals in its first seven playoff games before matching that output in a convincing Game 3 win over host Boston by scoring four times on six power plays in the 6-2 win.
In four games during the regular season against the Bruins, the Panthers were 0-for-11 on the power play. Florida converted on just one of the first nine power plays in Games 1 and 2 of the series.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Carter Verhaeghe, Brandon Montour, and Evan Rodrigues all scored on the power play.
With Boston managing just 17 shots on goal with 10 coming at even strength, the productive was enough for Florida to get the home-ice advantage back in the series. Keep that in mind when it comes to the Panthers vs Bruins odds preview.
Florida has won nine of its last 11 games against hockey teams from the Atlantic Division.
Bruins Cooked At Home
So much for the Bruins being motivated to bounce back after a humiliating loss in Game 2. The Bruins managed just three shots in the first period with two of them coming from bottom-six forwards Jakub Lauko and John Beecher.
The turning point was a double-minor called on rookie defenseman Mason Lohrei with Florida scoring on both penalties to take a 3-0 lead in the second period.
Boston did make things interesting with goals by Lauko and Jake DeBrusk in the third period to pull within two goals with more than 11 minutes to play. The Bruins got three shots on Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky on a power play but couldn’t pull any closer before two late goals by Florida gave the Panthers the 2-1 series lead.
The Panthers vs Bruins odds preview have Boston as the home underdog for the first time in back-to-back postseason games since a 2008 series against Montreal with the Bruins splitting those NHL games.
Panthers vs Bruins Injury Update
Defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Aaron Ekblad as well as forward Aleksander Barkov all played for Florida despite being listed as questionable. Forward Sam Bennett played for the first time since April 23.
Defenseman Andrew Peeke was back for Boston after being injured in the second game of the opening-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Panthers vs Bruins Betting Preview
While the Bruins won’t be eliminated even with a loss at home in Game 4, this series could be over not long after that with another performance like the one on Friday night.
Boston has covered in just 20 of 46 home games with Florida 29-15 in the NHL betting picks against the puck line on the road. Just 17 of Florida’s 44 road games have gone over the total.
When looking at the NHL games today, The total has gone over in each of Florida’s last six games as well as in five of the last seven road games.
The total has gone over in 13 of the last 18 games between the Bruins and the Panthers. The total is at 5.5 after the teams combined for eight goals in Game 4.
Florida just looks like the superior team in this series and it won’t be a surprise to see Florida win again in Boston. The Bruins will be playing for their season so there figures to be a better effort than the one in Game 3.
Bruins captain Brad Marchand was held without a point or a shot on goal for the third time in the last six games so all eyes will be on him to deliver in a huge home game for the Bruins.
Marchand is considered questionable for Game 4 with an upper-body injury but it would take quite the NHL injury to keep him out of this matchup.
Go with the Panthers to skate past the Bruins once again.
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