Bruins vs Penguins Odds & Predictions for Saturday Afternoon Hockey
It could be a preview of coming attractions as the Pittsburgh Penguins (37-28-10) play host to the Boston Bruins (58-12-5) in NHL action on Saturday afternoon.
Boston has clinched the President’s Trophy and the first overall seed for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Pittsburgh is battling for the second Eastern Conference Wild Card position, which would mean a first-round matchup against the Bruins in the NHL postseason.
Boston has won both meetings from Pittsburgh this season. The Bruins are set by oddsmakers as -135 road favorites. Boston (27-8-2) has won the most road games of any NHL team this season.
Bruins vs Penguins Odds
Both of Boston’s wins over Pittsburgh this season have been one-goal decisions. Boston is 15-6-2 in one-goal games this season. The Penguins are 4-2-1 SU in their last seven home games.
Puck drop is set for 3:00pm ET on Saturday, April 1 at PPG Paints Arena. Americans can watch the game via ABC. Canadians can catch the action on Sportsnet.
Odds as of March 31st at Caesars Sportsbook. Claim the Caesars promo code to make a wager on Bruins vs Penguins.
In the NHL public betting splits, there’s overwhelming support among the people for the Bruins. The Bruins are getting 92% of handle and 75% of bets from spread players. The moneyline wagers are also almost exclusively for Boston, at 90% of handle and 84% of bets.
The under on the total of 6.5 goals is also proving popular with the betting public. It’s garnering 72% of handle and 64% of bets. The total has gone under in five of Boston’s last six games. The under also paid off in four of the last five times the Bruins were visiting Pittsburgh.
Boston is the +260 chalk in the Stanley Cup odds. Pittsburgh is a +7500 long shot in this betting market.
Boston Guaranteed To Be #1
A 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday assured that the Bruins will be finishing atop the NHL standings. As victory #58 on the season, it also guaranteed that Boston would be setting a new single-season franchise record for wins. Boston’s previous best was 57 wins in 1970-71.
The Bruins have won eight of their last nine games and Boston has won six straight against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston forward David Pastrnak is in need of one more point to reach 100 for the season. A victory would give Boston its first sweep of the season series from the Penguins since the 2014-15 campaign.
Penguins Struggling To Find Consistency
Thursday’s 2-0 home-ice shutout of the Nashville Predators marked the sixth successive game in which the Penguins have alternated between winning and losing. Pittsburgh hasn’t won back-to-back games since March 11-12, but both of those victories also came on home ice.
Bruins vs Penguins Recent Results
The Penguins suit up five 25-goal scorers, tied with Buffalo for the NHL lead. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has points in 10 straight home home games (3-13-16).
Bruins vs Penguins Pick & Prediction
Boston beat Pittsburgh 6-5 in overtime at PPG Paints Arena on Nov. 1. However, the Bruins are just 3-7-2 SU in their last 12 games at the rink. Boston were 2-1 winners over the Pens on Jan. 2 at Fenway Park in the NHL’s annual Winter Classic.
Pittsburgh is seeking to make the playoffs for the 17th successive season. That’s the longest active streak among the four major North American pro sports leagues. The Penguins have covered the puck line in four of the last five games against Boston.
