A rare, inter-league matchup is on the upcoming NHL docket on Tuesday as the Boston Bruins head to the desert to face-off with the Arizona Coyotes. Let's check out our NHL odds series where our Bruins-Coyotes prediction and pick will be made.

Entering this competition, the Bruins are once again among the league's best teams record wise at 24-8-6 and are beginning to click on all cylinders with six wins in their last seven games. With 54 points overall which is good for the top spot in the Atlantic Division Standings, does Boston have what it takes to avenge their heartbreaking end to a historically dominant season a year ago?

On the other side of things, it is the Coyotes that sit with a 19-17-2 record and are barely keeping their heads above water. Although the season is far from over, it is clear that Arizona needs to start putting their inconsistent play behind them if they are going to be taken seriously as a contender in the Western Conference. Currently on a three-game losing streak, could the Coyotes bounce back with a much-needed victory over the Bruins in front of the home fans?

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Bruins-Coyotes Odds

Boston Bruins: -1.5 (+168)

Moneyline: -146

Arizona Coyotes: +1.5 (-205)

Moneyline: +122

Over: 6.5 (+112)

Under: 6.5 (-138)

How to Watch Bruins vs. Coyotes

Time: 9:00 ET/6:00 PT

TV: ESPN+

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Bruins Will Cover The Spread/Win

For starters, the Bruins may appear to be the better team in comparison to the Coyotes. But all it takes is a couple bad bounces and some misfortunate luck for things to go south in a hurry.

In order to come away with the spread-covering win, the Bruins must avoid being lackadaisical in the opening stages of the first period. Alas, in their dominating 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston did happen to be sleepwalking as they surrendered an opening goal only 21 seconds into that contest. However, the Bruins recovered nicely by dicing up the Lightning on both ends of the ice as they ultimately held a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.

As long as Boston keeps the pedal to the metal offensively while keeping tabs on their assignments defensively, then they should be able to avoid giving Arizona momentum in the early going.

All in all, there is no doubt that the Bruins will be slightly fatigued with this matchup serving as the second of a back-to-back, but be on the lookout for whoever is in net to be tough to score on if you are a Coyote. It remains to be seen who exactly is going to start for Boston with the upcoming back-to-back looming, but the Bruins have allowed only 2.66 scores per game.

Whether it is the rock-solid starter in Linus Ullmark receiving the starting nod or even the stellar backup Jeremy Swagman in net, the Bruins will be in fairly good shape in this department. Even if the Bruins offenses gets cold, relying on the shoulders of these goaltenders will be vital.

Why The Coyotes Will Cover The Spread/Win

Meanwhile, a victorious triumph over one of the top teams in the league would go an extremely long ways in the Coyotes pursuit to relevance. Slowly but surely, it is Arizona that is putting together the proper pieces in transforming themselves into an organization that can be a winner in the National Hockey League. Without a doubt, Tuesday night's test against the Bruins will be the perfect measuring stick on how that process is progressing for Arizona.

To begin, not only does Arizona need to rally around their home-ice advantage, but if there is one major flaw within the Coyotes' game during their three-game losing stretch, it is the fact that there offense has been close to irrelevant. Indeed, Arizona has managed to tally only four goals during that span and they will be needing a hero on the offensive end of the ice to come in clutch when it matters most.

All things considered, don't be overly surprised if right-winger Clayton Keller can get some good look son net early and often. One of Arizona's top scoring threats, Keller has only recorded two points in his last six games combined. Clearly, this is not going to cut it, and the star power that resides within this Arizona roster will need to be at its best to contend with a team like Boston.

Final Bruins-Coyotes Prediction & Pick

As intriguing as this matchup is, the Coyotes are in the middle of a losing slide that should not be expected to come to an end against the Bruins. At the end of the day, take Boston to make the right plays to ultimately come out on top.

Final Bruins-Coyotes Prediction & Pick: Bruins -1.5 (+168)