Ryan Hodges
The month of March is off to a bang for the NHL as they are treating fans to a 13-game slate. The action begins at 12:30pm eastern and goes all through the night. The afternoon slate features a matchup between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins that could have trade deadline implications. There will be plenty of eyes on this game, and if you want to join with some added intrigue, here is a same game parlay we have our eyes on for this one.
Let’s dive in, and don’t forget you can also get our expert NHL picks for all the big games on Saturday.
Penguins win (-115)
Over 5.5 (-130)
Sidney Crosby anytime goalscorer (+145)
NHL parlay odds: +410
If you want the best odds on our NHL parlay picks, make sure you use FanDuel Sportsbook. No FanDuel account? No problem! Simply click here to sign up now and you’ll receive $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 wager is a winner!
Penguins win (-115)
Both the Bruins and Penguins have struggled lately. What looks to give the Penguins a slight edge in this one is momentum from a good win and having home ice. The Penguins snapped a 4-game losing streak on Thursday by coming back from down 3-0 to beat the Flyers 5-4 in overtime. That game showed that despite their spot in the standings, this Pittsburgh team still has a little bit of fight in them. If they can carry the momentum from that win into a home ice afternoon game, they will have a good chance to extend Boston’s losing streak.
The Bruins enter this game having lost 5 consecutive games as part of 7 losses in their last 9 games. Of those 7 losses, just 3 of them were to teams that currently occupy or are competing for a playoff spot. The longer term numbers on the road look even worse. The Bruins have just 1 win in their last 11 games played on the road. The stretch contributes to a 9-15-3 road record this year with a -38 goal differential. The Bruins just cannot be relied on right now, regardless of the opponent.
Find out our NHL best bets for tonight’s slate
Over 5.5 (-130)
The lack of goal prevention, as well as the general volatility of both the Bruins and Penguins gives the over appeal. The Bruins have allowed 4+ goals in 2 out of their last 4 games, while the Penguins have allowed a total of 23 goals in their last 4 games. For Pittsburgh, that is an average of 5.75 goals allowed per game. That stretch has also made for 4 consecutive game total overs. Both of these teams have enough scoring ability that mixed with this weak goal prevention, should lead to a high total.
A game total over would not be anything new for these teams. Their combined over under record this season is 62-55-4. Replicating this game’s situation, the numbers are even more lopsided. The combined over under record for Bruins road games and Penguins home games is 33-22-2. The inability to keep the puck out of their net has led to high totals for both teams this year. Recent forms only reinforce those trends.
Sidney Crosby anytime goalscorer (+145)
There have not been many bright spots for the Penguins this season. But Sidney Crosby sure has been a bright spot to no surprise. He leads Pittsburgh with 61 points in 59 games in an average of over 20 minutes of ice time per game. Crosby’s line is by far the most productive of the forward groups as he centers the top line between Rickard Rackell and Bryan Rust. He also centers the top power play with his line mates, plus Erik Karlsson and Kevin Hayes. If anyone has a chance to produce, it will be Crosby.
In addition to being in strong form and having solid line mates, the matchup is favorable for Crosby on Saturday as well. The Bruins are struggling in a big way and may play press a little bit as they try to get out of their slump. When a team presses, they typically try to force plays or play nervous because they don’t want to make a mistake. That plays right into a veteran superstar like Sidney Crosby. Look for him to capitalize against a struggling team.
Read our full Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins prediction
