Pittsburgh Penguins at Boston Bruins odds, picks and predictions
The Pittsburgh Penguins (18-14-4) meet the Boston Bruins (23-7-6) on Thursday at TD Garden. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Penguins vs. Bruins odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Penguins are coming off a disappointing 4-3 home loss against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, halting a 3-game winning streak. The Pens are a respectable 2-1-1 in the past 4 games on the road.
The Bruins have won 4 straight games, the longest streak since opening the season with 6 consecutive wins from Oct. 11-24. This is the 1st of 3 meetings with the Penguins this season.
The B’s swept the 3-game season series in 2022-23, although all 3 games were decided by a single goal. The Over cashed in 2 of those 3 games, with the Under cashing Jan. 2, 2023, in the only meeting in Boston.
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Penguins at Bruins odds
FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:40 a.m. ET.
Penguins at Bruins projected goalies
Tristan Jarry (11-11-2, 2.58 GAA, .912 SV%, 4 SO) vs. Jeremy Swayman (11-2-4, 2.22 GAA, .928 SV%, 2 SO)
Jarry got a quick hook Tuesday against the Caps, allowing 3 goals on 7 shots in the 1st 13:02 of the game. He was replaced in the 4-3 loss, and Alex Nedeljkovic allowed just 1 goal on 15 shots to give his team a chance. However, this is Jarry’s show, and he’ll be allowed to rebound and try and iron things out.
Swayman allowed 3 goals on 30 shots in a win at Detroit on New Year’s Eve, winning back-to-back starts while allowing just 4 goals on 56 shots in the 2-game road stretch. He returns home for the 1st time since Dec. 16, where he allowed 2 goals on 34 shots in a 2-1 OT loss against the New York Rangers.
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Penguins at Bruins picks and predictions
Prediction
Bruins 4, Penguins 2
The BRUINS (-152) are a decent moderate favorite against the erratic Penguins (+126). Boston has gotten back into the pocket with 4 straight victories, its best run since October. Pittsburgh has been better of late, but the B’s have clearly been the more consistent team lately. Toss in the fact the Pens were swept by the B’s last season, and that makes Boston the play here.
The BRUINS -1.5 (+160) is worth playing lightly, although, again, each of Boston’s 3 wins in the season sweep came by a single goal.
The Penguins +1.5 (-194) have covered the past 4 games as underdogs on the puck line, including outright wins in 3 of those outings. So be careful not to play the B’s too heavily.
The UNDER 6.5 (-138) is the play, although you’ll have to pay a little extra for it.
The Under has cashed in 2 of the past 3 games for the Penguins while going 3-2 in the previous 5 games overall for the Bruins. The Under is 5-2 in the past 7 starting assignments for Swayman, too, while the total went low in last season’s lone meeting between these teams in Beantown.
