Boston Bruins (17-2-0) look to extend its win streak against NHL teams to eight games on Wednesday night at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
Boston has been, far and away, the best team in the league this season. Florida has lost three games in a row and is surprisingly in fifth place in the competitive Atlantic Division.
Linus Ullmark is the expected starting goaltender for the visiting Bruins. The 29-year-old Swede has been a steal for the Bruins since being acquired from the Sabres.
He is 13-1 this season with a 1.96 goals-against average (GAA) and a .935 save percentage. Spencer Knight starts for the Panthers.
The 21-year-old former first-round NHL picks enters the Bruins vs. Panthers betting analysis with a 5-3-1 record, 2.43 GAA, and a .918 save percentage.
Last Game Records
Boston Bruins
Boston, as mentioned, enters Wednesday’s Bruins vs. Panthers betting analysis having won seven consecutive games.
It is the top team in the league as of the NHL schedule today, and it isn’t even close. Boston cemented its current status as a Stanley Cup favorite with a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
Before that, the Bruins had defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia, Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, and Buffalo Sabres by a combined score of 18-5.
Meanwhile, Florida slumps in all NHL stats and doesn’t look like the team they were last season.
Florida Panthers
For the Florida Panthers standings, the team is fifth in the Atlantic and needs to halt its three-game losing streak tonight to keep up with the Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings.
Florida lost 5-3 to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday. The team has been outscored 16-11 in its last three games.
Matchup Information
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers Betting Analysis
Bruins as slight money line favorites at just -102 NHL odds for the Bruins vs. Panthers betting analysis. Florida is paying out -108.
Boston is listed at -265 on the +1.5 puck line, while the Panthers are +225 on the -1.5 puck line.
The over/under for tonight’s Bruins vs. Panthers betting analysis is 6.5, with the over and under paying out -107 and -103, respectively.
Can the Bruins Be Stopped?
Boston heads into one of the most anticipated NHL matchups on the schedule tonight with all the confidence in the world. The team has won seven games in a row and is undefeated on home ice. They’ve only lost twice on the road.
The Bruins remarkably have a +40 goal differential as they’ve scored a league-best 80 goals and allowed just 40 goals. Florida, in contrast, has scored and allowed 64 goals.
David Pastrnak leads the Boston Bruins stats with 29 points in 19 games, while Hampus Lindholm and Patrice Bergeron are tied for second on the team in NHL player stats with 18 points each.
Panthers Hoping to Find the Answer in Knight
Florida Panthers traded Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar to the Calgary Flames in the offseason for Matthew Tkachuk. While the move was criticized, it hasn’t been the reason for Florida’s slow start.
Tkachuk leads the team in NHL player stats with 25 points in 17 games, while Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour are tied for second with 18 points each.
Aleksander Barkov, who had 88 points in 67 games last year, has only 15 points in 18 games this season.
Goaltending, however, has been a concern. Veteran Sergei Bobrovsky has played in 11 games and has a 4-5-1 record to go along with a 3.62 GAA and a .888 save percentage.
Florida needs Knight to be the real deal. Despite playing in two fewer games, the 21-year-old has been much better than Bobrovsky. He may get an extended run as the team’s starting goaltender going forward.
NHL Injury
Boston is relatively healthy heading into the Bruins vs. Panthers betting analysis, although Trent Frederic missed practice on Tuesday due to a shoulder injury.
Anthony Duclair is on the NHL injury report for the Panthers, and there is no timetable for his return.
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers Betting Preview
Boston is 16-3 against the spread (ATS) this season, which is first in the league. They’re also 7-1 ATS on the road. Meanwhile, Florida is just 5-14 ATS, the second worst in the league ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers Betting Prediction
Boston Bruins has been in some high-scoring games this season, and the Panthers are due for a win. Still, it’s hard to bet against the Bruins with the way they’ve been playing.
The safe bet is to take the under, as both Knight and Ullmark have been among the best goalies in the league this season.
NHL Pick: Under 6.5 (-103)
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