Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and the Boston Bruins are set to face off against Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center in a divisional showdown. The match will get going at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 23, and fans at home can watch the game live on New England Sports Network.
Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers Odds
Moneyline odds have not yet been posted for this matchup.
Boston is 45-29 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 4.1 units this year. 41 of its contests have gone under the total, while 29 have gone over and just four have pushed. This 2018-19 Bruins team is 17-19 SU on the road.
Boston has converted on 25.9 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s good enough for fourth-best in the league. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 12th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.4 percent of its penalties..
With a .918 save percentage and 24.9 saves per game, Tuukka Rask (26-16-5) has been the top option in goal for Boston this year. If it decides to give him a rest, however, head coach Bruce Cassidy might go with Jaroslav Halak (19-17-4 record, .925 save percentage, 2.29 goals against average).
Florida is 33-41 straight up (SU) and has lost 14.2 units for moneyline bettors this year. 41 of its games have gone over the total, while 26 have gone under and just seven have pushed. It’s 19-18 SU at home this season.
The Panthers currently have the second-best power-play unit in the NHL, as they’ve scored on 27.0 percent of their extra-man chances this year. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 14th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 80.7 percent of all opponent power plays.
Roberto Luongo has stopped 24.9 shots per game as the top selection in goal for the Panthers. Luongo has 16 wins, 22 losses, and five overtime losses to his credit and has maintained a pedestrian 3.13 goals against average and a subpar .898 save percentage this year.
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Bruins, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The Bruins are 2-3 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Panthers are 3-6 in shootouts.
- For both of these teams, the over has hit in three of their last five outings.
- This game features two clubs that put the puck on net a lot. Boston has registered the league’s ninth-most shots on goal (32.9) and Florida has attempted the seventh-most (33.0).
- Five of Florida’s last ten games have been decided by two or more goals. The team is 4-1 overall in those games.
- Boston skaters have accounted for the league’s 12th-most hits per game (23.2), but the team’s averaged just 20.0 hits over their last five away games.
