The NHL betting board for Friday night is headlined by a contest between two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference as the Boston Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
They previously clashed on Wednesday night, with Boston coming away with a 4-3 overtime victory, and oddsmakers are expecting another close contest, with Boston opening as a slim road favorite.
We break down the NHL odds with our best Bruins vs. Flyers picks and predictions for Friday, January 5, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. ET.
Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers Betting Preview
Injuries
Bruins: Matt Grzelcyk D (Questionable), Jake DeBrusk LW (Out), Jack Studnicka C (Out), John Moore D (Out), Ondrej Kase RW (Out).
Flyers: Sean Couturier C (Out), Morgan Frost C (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Bruins are 6-1 in their last seven games against teams with a winning record. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Flyers.
NHL Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonBoston nudged down from -134 to -132 Thursday night at FanDuel, but today got to -142 by lunch hour, and that's where the moneyline is as of 4:30 p.m. ET. Despite the move toward the Bruins, it's two-way action with a lean toward the Flyers, who are taking 52 percent of bets and 57 percent of money. The total is pinned to 5.5 flat, although the Over is getting 91 percent of early bets and 84 percent of early money.
Check out the full line movement for this gameMoneyline Pick
The Bruins' victory on Wednesday gives them five wins in their last six games. Meanwhile, the Flyers are on a five-game winning streak against non-Boston teams. Unfortunately, they have dropped three games against the Bruins since January 19 – albeit with two of those contests going into overtime.
The Flyers have struggled on defense, which is surprising considering how stingy they were last year. While Philly has looked better on the blue line with Shayne Gostisbehere and Philippe Myers returning from injuries, they are still allowing the third-most shots on goal in the league after allowing the fewest shots just a season ago.
Philadelphia has been an abject failure when it comes to shots on net on both ends of the ice, ranking dead-last in the NHL in Fenwick For percentage, a category in which Boston ranks third.
Boston is holding foes to just 2.3 goals per game (fourth-best in the league) while ranking second in the league on the penalty kill.
While the Bruins were atrocious on the offensive end of the ice at the beginning of the season, failing to score an even-strength goal until their fourth game, they have picked things up and now average a respectable 3.2 goals per game.
A big reason for that has been the return of last year's Rocket Richard Trophy winner David Pastrnak from the IR. Pasta almost singlehandedly won the game for Boston on Wednesday, scoring three goals and adding a helper.
I'd like to say that the Flyers are due for a win in this series, given that they've already lost three games against Boston this season, but it's hard to trust Philly. Especially with a struggling goaltender and a group of skaters that can't control possession. Back the B's again.
PREDICTION: Boston -135
Over/Under Pick
The Over/Under for this game is set at 5.5, but strong Over trends abound for both teams. The Over is 8-3 in the Flyers last 11 games overall while going 5-2 in the Bruins' previous seven.
The Flyers have looked strong on the offensive end of the ice averaging 3.45 goals per game and converting on 24.2 percent of power-play opportunities.
Both squads have also filled up the net recently with Philly averaging 3.6 goals per game over its last five contests and the Bruins averaging 4.5 goals in their last six.
Flyers No. 1 netminder Carter Hart has been shaky after looking like a future superstar last year. The 22-year-old has a 3.42 GAA with a save percentage of .898 through eight starts.
While we already ripped on the play of Philadelphia's goaltending, Boston goalie Tuukka Rask hasn't looked great in recent games either. The veteran allowed three goals on 25 shots to the Flyers on Wednesday, and prior to that, gave up four goals on just 23 shots versus the Capitals last Saturday. He also surrendered four goals on 26 shots against the Flyers two weeks ago.
PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (-110)
Bruins vs Flyers Betting Card
- Boston -135
- Over 5.5 (-110)
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