The Boston Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins in an afternoon matchup at TD Garden on Saturday. The Bruins are huge home favorites on the NHL odds board after a disappointing deadline for Pittsburgh.
Boston has been alternating wins and losses over its past six games but may be able to break out of that here against the Penguins. Pittsburgh is spiraling downward after a 6-0 shutout loss to the Capitals on Thursday night.
Can the Bruins take it to the Penguins at home? Read on for our Penguins vs. Bruins NHL picks and predictions on Saturday, March 9th.
Penguins vs Bruins odds
Penguins vs Bruins predictions
The Boston Bruins haven't missed a beat this season without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci after the two veteran centers retired last offseason. They're 37-13-15 overall this year, including an impressive 20-7-6 record at home. They've coming off a 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs, and have now gone 3-1-1 in their last five games.
"This is a team that has grinded its way and overcome a lot of adversity within the season," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said. "I think that's going to help us as we move towards the playoffs. ... It was good to see the way we raised our level (against a competing team in the standings in Toronto)."
The Pittsburgh Penguins were hoping to bounce back this season after missing the playoffs last year, but they’ve fallen flat instead. They're just 28-25-8 this season, which led to them becoming sellers at the trade deadline. They've lost four of their last five games with the lone victory coming against the lowly Blue Jackets.
Pittsburgh was embarrassed at home by the Capitals on Thursday night. There were rumors swirling around Jake Guentzel and that certainly didn’t help things.
"Obviously, we didn't do a good enough job of handling a lot of that noise that's going on around the team," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "These guys are human, and as much as we preach, ‘Stay on task here and focus,' obviously I have to believe that some of that had an impact on what went on the ice tonight. That's not an excuse. We've still got to do our jobs."
Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes later on Thursday night. Captain Sidney Crosby acknowledged that Guentzel’s departure could impact the team.
"I think the trade deadline is always tough but I think, given the circumstances, it's a little heavier,” he said.
Things aren't going to get any easier for the Penguins today in Boston. Pittsburgh is 12-14-4 on the road and got outscored 12-4 during its last three away games. The Penguins' play has dipped a bit in the last 10 games with the league's fourth-worst expected goals share at 5-on-5 per Natural Stat Trick.
The Bruins have home-ice advantage against a dejected Penguins team. They're worth taking even at this high price of -182.
My best bet: Bruins moneyline (-182 at betPARX)
Penguins vs Bruins same-game parlay
Bruins team total Over 3.5
Penguins team total Under 2.5
David Pastrnak anytime goalscorer
The Boston Bruins have had some ups and downs over the past month or so, but they’ve been settling in recently. They beat the Maple Leafs 4-1 twice in the span of four nights, and that's the type of victory we've come to expect from this Boston squad.
The Bruins typically score a few goals and then can coast to victory behind their strong defense and goaltending. That should be the case on Saturday against a downtrodden Pittsburgh Penguins team.
Taking the Bruins team total Over 2.5 instead of Over 3.5 would be the safer option, but Pittsburgh has allowed 19 goals in its last four games — including four or more in three of them. The Pens have only scored three or more goals in two of their last five games.
David Pastrnak ended a four-game goal drought on Thursday night, bringing his total to 39 goals in 65 games this season. He scored a goal in the first meeting against the Penguins this season.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Penguins vs Bruins moneyline and Over/Under analysis
The Boston Bruins odds vary across the board from -182 (betPARX) all the way up to -200 (BetMGM) as of late Friday night. In turn, the Penguins are as high as +165 (BetMGM) after opening at +150.
The total opened at 5.5 but has moved up to a flat six at most books. You can get Over 5.5 (-120) and Under 5.5 (-102) at FanDuel or Over 6 (+105) and Under 6 (-125) at BetMGM.
Expect bets to continue to come in on the Bruins up until puck drop on Saturday. I'd play Boston up to -200.
Keep an eye out on the Penguins goalie news, too. They’re on the first half of a back-to-back set.
Penguins vs Bruins betting trend to know
The Pittsburgh Penguins have only hit the moneyline in 36 of their last 80 games (-27.40 Units / -23% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Bruins.
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Penguins vs Bruins game info
| Location: | TD Garden, Boston, MA |
| Date: | Saturday, March 9, 2024 |
| Puck drop: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ABC |
Penguins vs Bruins latest injuries
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