NHL Best Bets: Bruins vs. Lightning Game Picks

Two of the Atlantic Division’s top teams will collide tonight, with the Tampa Bay Lightning playing host to the Boston Bruins.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Boston Bruins (-114) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-105) Total: 6 (O -110, U -110)

The Atlantic Division boasts three of the NHL’s top teams. The Bruins and Lightning will meet for the third of four meetings, as Boston won the first two meetings 3-1 and 5-3. Those results should show how strong the Bruins are, as the Lightning have made three straight Stanley Cup Finals. 

Both teams have been playing well as the end of January looms. The visiting Bruins have won six straight, posting a 9-1 record over their last ten, while the Lightning are 6-4 over that same sample size and sit third in the division. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Bruins are expected to start Linus Ullmark, while the Lightning should continue riding Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Bruins netminder has been sensational, posting a 25-2-1 record with a .938 save percentage, while Vasilevskiy is 21-12-1 with a .917 save percentage.

With the Bruins’ recent success and outscoring the Lightning 8-4 in two matchups, it’s hard to look away from the visitors. The moneyline prices are similar, which means backing the Bruins at -114 holds value. 

Best Bet: Bruins moneyline (-114) 

The first two matchups were very different games, one combining for four goals and one seeing eight scored. The Bruins and Lightning sit top five in goals scored per game, but Boston is also the top team in goals allowed. Over the Bruins’ last five games, just two have seen six or more goals scored, while the Lightning have seen that in four of their previous five games. Even with recent trends, the projected goalie matchup indicates a lower scoring tilt, so side with the under six at -110.

Best Bet: Under six (-110) 

The Bruins have a lot of offensive depth, but one player continues to be a threat in the Rocket Richard trophy race. David Pastrnak has already tallied 37 goals in just 47 games and continued to prove he’s amongst the game’s elite goal scorers. Pastrnak is listed at +114 to light the lamp tonight, and there’s too much value in that number to pass it up. 

Best Prop: David Pastrnak to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+114)