Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins Prediction, NHL Odds
After topping Columbus 4-2 at home on Tuesday, the Leafs can lock up second with a win combined with a Lightning loss in their road date with the New York Islanders. The Bruins aim to extend their latest win streak to four games after eking out a 4-3 win in St. Louis on Sunday, and have already won four in row on seven previous occasions this season.
Winners in 31 of 38 home games so far this season, the Bruins return home as -149 favourites to win on the NHL odds. The Maple Leafs have been on the rise since opening at +134 and currently sit as +124 underdogs, and the total is pegged at 6.0.
Maple Leafs vs. Bruins NHL Betting Odds
Thursday night’s matchup at TD Garden marks the fourth and final regular season meeting between these Original Six rivals. The Bruins have taken the past two from Toronto, capped by a decisive 5-2 win at Scotiabank Arena on February 1, snapping a four-game head-to-head losing streak in regular season play.
The Bruins have also topped the Leafs in five of their past six on home ice. The total has reached 7.0 five times during a 5-1 run for the OVER in totals betting.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have managed to inch themselves into reach of a second-place finish in the Atlantic despite producing uneven results in recent weeks. The club is coming off a dominating 50-shot performance in Tuesday’s win over the Blue Jackets, but have tallied consecutive wins just once over their past 12 games, posting six wins over that stretch.
The Leafs’ hardships have not been due to goaltending. Thursday’s expected starter Ilya Samsonov has held opponents to two or fewer goals in four of his past six starts, and has been rewarded for his efforts with a middling 2-2-2 record over that stretch. Leafs shooters have been snake bitten at times.
The Leafs have now recorded 40 or more shots in four of their past six outings, but have scored only 11 total goals while losing three of those four contests. Zach Aston-Reese scored twice versus Columbus, and has three markers in his past four games. Auston Matthews also scored, but the star sniper has potted just two goals in his past two outings and is goalless in his past two road appearances.
Boston Bruins
Already assured of a finish atop the NHL league standings and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, the Bruins continue their preparations for a playoff run that may include a second-round series with Toronto. That should provide this club with plenty of motivation, which they lacked while blowing an early 3-0 lead in Sunday’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Blues. Indeed, Boston was outplayed by St. Louis in the second half of this contest, getting outshot by a 30-19 margin over the final two frames and overtime.
The club’s letdown follows a pair of key contests including a 2-1 overtime win over Columbus that clinched them the Presidents’ Trophy last week, and a red-hot three-goal performance by David Pastrnak in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Pittsburgh. Pastrnak now has seven goals over his past five games, but has mustered just two points over this season’s three dates with the Leafs.
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