It's the last game before the All-Star Break as the Boston Bruins meet the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Fly through the blue zone with our NHL odds series with a Bruins-Maple Leafs prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Bruins are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes this past weekend. They stumbled out of the gate and trailed 3-0 heading into the third period. Then, Taylor Hall trimmed the lead early in the period, but the Bruins could not rceover. Linus Ullmark played efficiently in goal, stopping 32 shots. However, the offense failed him. The Bruins went 0 for 6 on the powerplay. Likewise, the penalty kill allowed a powerplay goal and let the Canes outshoot them 36-25. Boston won 58 percent of its faceoffs, but it did not make a difference. Ultimately, they blocked only eight shots on defense.
The Maple Leafs steamrolled the Capitals 5-1 last weekend. Initially, it looked bad as they trailed 1-0 entering the second period. But then they turned the tide with a monster second period that included four second-period goals. Also, Ilya Samsonov held the fort for Toronto with 23 saves. The Leafs went 1 for 2 on the powerplay, and the only miscue they had was a powerplay goal they allowed in the first period. Additionally, they blocked 14 shots. John Tavares was a wizard with the puck, distibuting two helpers.
The Bruins enter this game with the best record in the NHL at 38-7-5. Significantly, they are 16-6-2 on the road. The Bruins are also 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Leafs come into this contest with a record of 31-12-9, trailing the Bruins by nine points in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs are also 20-4-4 at the Scotiabank Arena. Moreover, Toronto is 6-3-1 in its previous 10 games.
The Leafs defeated the Bruins 2-1 on November 5, 2022 in Toronto. Then, the Bruins got them back 4-3 in a battle in Boston a few weeks ago. The teams have split the previous 10 games.
Here are the Ducks-Kings NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Bruins-Maple Leafs Odds
Boston Bruins: -1.5 (+198) -130 (ML)
Toronto Maple Leafs: +1.5 (-250) +106 (ML)
Over: 6 (-104)
Under: -6 (-118)
How To Watch Bruins vs. Maple Leafs
TV: TSN, TVAS, NEPN and SportsNet
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Bruins Could Cover The Spread
The Bruins have plenty of talent and are difficult to defeat. Now, their players look to make one more splash before the All-Star Break. David Pastrnak leads the Bruins with 38 goals and 31 assists, including 14 powerplay goals. Meanwhile, Brad Marchand has 16 goals and 30 assists, with eight powerplay conversions. David Krejci has 12 goals and 29 assists, including three powerplay markers. Finally, Patrice Bergeron has 18 goals and 20 assists, with six on the extra-man attack. These four lead a Boston offense that is second in goals, fifth in shooting percentage, and sixth on the powerplay.
Ullmark is having a career year with a record of 25-4-1 with a goals-against average of 1.90, and a save percentage of .936. Thus, he likely gets the start today. Ullmark backstops a defense that is the best in the NHL in goals allowed and has the best penalty-killing unit.
The Bruins could cover the spread if their “core four” players break loose and open up scoring opportunities. Likewise, their defense must recover from the bad game from Sunday and block some shots.
Why The Maple Leafs Could Cover The Spread
The Leafs are red-hot right now. However, the Bruins are almost always on another level, and the Leafs need their best players to excel. William Nylander leads the Leafs with 28 goals and 31 assists, including seven powerplay goals. Likewise, Mitchell Marner has 18 goals and 41 assists, with five conversions on the powerplay. Auston Matthews has 25 goals and 28 assists, with 10 markers on the extra-man attack. Finally, Tavares has 21 goals and 30 assists, with nine tallies on the powerplay. These four lead an offense that is seventh in goals, seventh in shooting percentage, and seventh on the powerplay.
Samsonov and Matt Murray share the net. Ultimately, Samsonov is 17-5-2 with a goals-against average of 2.31 and a save percentage of .917, while Murray is 11-5-2 with a goals-against average of 2.73 and a save percentage of .911. There is no goalie confirmation yet, so stay tuned for information. Significantly, they backstop a defense that is seventh in goals allowed and 16th on the penalty kill.
The Maple Leafs could cover the spread if their “core four” beats Boston's “core four” and has monster days. Also, they must avoid taking penalties.
Final Bruins-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick
The Leafs excel against the Bruins at home. Therefore, expect more of the same with another gritty game, with the Leafs emerging victorious.
Final Bruins-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs +106 (ML)
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