Game Overview
The Anaheim Ducks (20-16-7) head to Beantown to take on the Boston Bruins (24-12-2) tonight. The Ducks are looking to string together some wins to remain in a playoff position, while the Bruins are now just three points away from passing the Toronto Maples Leafs for third in the Atlantic Division.
Last Games Records
The Anaheim Ducks are coming off a surprising 5-1 win against one of the best teams of the league in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite being shutout in two straight games prior to Friday, the Ducks managed to completely smother the Lightning offense while finding some unexpected goals from Derek Grant, Vinni Lettieri, Nicolas Deslauriers, and Kevin Shattenkirk. John Gibson was outstanding in net, posting a .970 SV% and stopping 32 of 33 shots.
Boston is also coming off of a big win on Saturday, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 with goals from David Pastrnak, Charlie Coyle, and Oskar Steen. Tuukka Rask didn’t have his best night, though it certainly could have been worse with a .906 SV% and stopping 29 of 32 shots.
Matchup Information:
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM EST on January 24th at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Ducks at Bruins Betting Analysis
Anaheim Ducks Betting Analysis
Despite winning their last game, Anaheim is currently 3-7-0 in their last ten games. The Ducks are currently going through one of the toughest stretches in their schedule this season, though Friday’s performance against the Lightning did prove that this team is still capable of skating with the best.
John Gibson is finally back for the Ducks and looks like he could be the difference-maker going forward. Gibson looked phenomenal against the Lightning- if he can continue to play as sharp as he has since returning from injury, he just might be able to steal a few wins on this road trip.
Scoring has been a bit of an issue for the Ducks lately, as players who were once enjoying a hot start to the beginning of the season have since cooled off.
Ryan Getzlaf has scored just two assists since returning from injury, while Trevor Zegras has two goals and two assists in his last eight games. With two straight shutouts to the Chicago Blackhawks and Avalanche, this is obviously an issue.
Boston Bruins Betting Analysis
The Bruins are playing some of the best hockey of their season, capitalizing on their games in hand to sit just three points out of a top-three spot in the Atlantic Division. With the exception of an uncharacteristic 7-1 blowout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the Bruins have shown themselves to be incredibly stingy on defense in addition to jump-starting an elite offense.
Tuukka Rask has returned as a full time goaltender for the Bruins, winning two of his three starts so far. He’s looked solid so far, but his performance in the 7-1 blowout seems to suggest that there may still be some kinks to work out. Luckily, Linus Ullmark seems to be a bit more stable in net this season with a 14-5-0 record and .915 SV%.
Offense is heating up, too – David Pastrnak is finally finding his game after a bit of a slow start to the year. Pasta scored his 11th goal in his last ten games, bringing his total goals scored to 19 on the season – combined with linemates Brad Marchand (44 points) and Patrice Bergeron (31 points), the Bruins top line has once again become one of the deadliest in the league if it can stay healthy.
Team Updates
Brad Marchand is completely back into the lineup after dealing with an upper-body injury that looked like it might result in some missed time, keeping the top line together with the team’s leading scorer.
Depth pieces Jakub Zboril, John Moore, Trent Frederic, and Anton Blidh are out with injury, while defenseman Mike Reilly is out due to Covid protocol.
The Ducks are currently decimated with injury at the moment – team-leading scorer Troy Terry is out on Covid protocol, along with Cam Fowler, Josh Manson, and Anthony Stolarz.
Max Jones, Adam Henrique, and Sonny Milano are all out with injury. Obviously, missing this many people has significantly contributed to Anaheim’s recent struggles.
- The Over is 8-2 in the last 10 Anaheim Ducks games when the team averages three goals per game or less (Ducks current goals per game: 2.91)
- The Ducks are 8-2 ATS against Eastern Conference teams this season
- The Ducks are 1-9 ATS when their odds to win are below 60% (Odds: 23%)
- Boston is 0-10 ATS against Pacific teams when favored by -600 or less (Current: -273)
- Bruins are 0-5 ATS in their last five games
- Bruins are 5-1 in their last six home games
Anaheim Ducks at Boston Bruins Betting Preview
Looking at the stats above and Anaheim’s massive injuries, Boston is the clear favorite to take in this one. However, Boston has clearly struggled against the spread, especially against the Pacific. With the Pacific being much weaker overall than the Atlantic, it would be wise to consider going against the spread with the Ducks.
Boston simply has too many weapons offensively- John Gibson is going to need to show up in a big way to win this one.
Ducks vs Bruins Betting Prediction
The Boston moneyline is a safe bet at +270, but there’s a very good chance that this game is much closer than it seems. Boston will likely win the game, but taking the Ducks at +1.5 would be the best bet to make some cash on tonight’s contest.
How to Bet on Anaheim Ducks at Boston Bruins
The Ducks have been strangely good against the spread against the east his year, while Boston has struggled. With John Gibson showing he can still steal a few and four of the last five Boston games being decided by just one goal, Ducks at +1.5 is the move here.
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