The Tampa Bay Lightning will head to Beantown to face the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Lightning-Bruins prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.

The Lightning come into this game with a lot of inconsistent play over the last few games. Now, they will play the last of a three-game road trip where they have split the first two games. Things started off badly with a loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Then, they went into St. Paul and defeated the Minnesota Wild. This matchup will be significantly tougher as they play one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Bruins saw their four-game winning streak end on Thursday with a wild 6-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Previously, they were dominating teams en route to a great stretch. Even with the loss, the Bruins still managed more than four games as their offense has been on fire lately. Now, they hope to keep the offense humming while hoping for a better day from their defense after a rare lapse.

The Lightning defeated the Bruins 5-4 in overtime in their last showdown on November 24 at Amalie Arena. Significantly, David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist, while Charlie Coyle added a goal for the Bruins. But the Bolts got just a little bit more as Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist while Brandon Hagel did the same, including the overtime winner. Jeremy Swayman faced 47 shots in that game while allowing five goals, including the winning tally in the extra session.

The Bruins are 6-2-2 over 10 games against the Bolts. Additionally, they are 3-1-1 over the past five games at the TD Garden. The teams have also combined for six or more goals in 6 of 10 games. Andrei Vasilevskiy was not available when the Lightning played the Bruins earlier this season. However, he will likely get the start in this one.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Lightning-Bruins Odds

Tampa Bay Lightning: +1.5 (-184)

Moneyline: +130

Boston Bruins: -1.5 (+152)

Moneyline: -156

Over: 6.5 (+108)

Under: 6.5 (-132)

How to Watch Lightning vs. Bruins

Time: 7:10 PM ET/4:10 PM PT

TV: ESPN+, New England Sports Network, and Bally Sports Sun

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Lightning Will Cover The Spread

The Lightning continues to shine on offense. Not surprisingly, Nikita Kucherov leads the pack. Kucherov leads the NHL in points. However, things have not been as easy against the Bruins throughout his career. Kucherov has eight goals and 16 assists through 33 career games against the Bruins. Also, he has a plus-minus mark of -8, highlighting how he has been on the ice for a lot of Bruins' goals.

Stamkos is another player to watch. Yet, he, too, has struggled against the Bruins, notching 27 goals and 14 assists over 50 games against the Bruins with a plus-minus of -9. Hagel has six goals and one assist over nine career games against the Bruins. Likewise, he has a plus-minus of -2. Victor Hedman has scored nine goals and 20 assists in 50 career games against the Bruins.

Vasilevskiy will get his first shot at the Bruins this season. So far, it has not been pretty throughout his career. Vasilevskiy is 7-10-2 with a 2.68 goals-against average and a save percentage of .910 in his career against the Bruins.

The Lightning will cover the spread if they can get on the board first. Then, they need to avoid taking penalties to give the Bruins too many chances.

Why The Bruins Will Cover The Spread

The Bruins also have a lot of offense on their team. Ultimately, it all starts with one of the best players in the game. Pastrnak is sixth in the NHL in points and goals. Additionally, he has fared well against the Lightning, scoring 21 goals and 12 assists through 32 games against them. Brad Marchand has tallied 18 goals and 23 assists in 45 games against the Bolts. Moreover, he has an amazing plus-minus of +18, showcasing the fact that the Bruins almost always score when he is on the ice.

Defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been solid, with two goals and eight assists over 17 career games against the Lightning. Likewise, Pavel Zacha is a player to watch as he has three goals and four assists over 19 games against the Bolts.

Swayman started on Thursday. Therefore, Linus Ullmark will likely get the start and come in with a record of 12-5 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a save percentage of .916. Ullmark is also 4-6 with a 3.13 goals-against average and a save percentage of .901 in his career against the Bolts.

The Bruins will cover the spread if they can get their legs moving and get puck movement to set up early scoring. Then, their defense needs to clamp down and make plays happen.

Final Lightning-Bruins Prediction & Pick

The Bruins are the better team right now. Additionally, they seem to bounce back after a hard loss. Expect the Bruins to get the win in this one as they hit the money line.

Final Lightning-Bruins Prediction & Pick: Bruins ML (-156)