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Andrew Rogers
Ottawa Senators vs. Boston Bruins: NHL Odds, Prediction
A crazy third-period comeback by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday has the Boston Bruins facing a must-win situation in Saturday night’s NHL matchup against the Ottawa Senators. The Bruins will need a victory against the division-rival Sens to keep their Atlantic Division title hopes alive – and with them, home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Ottawa will look to avoid a season sweep, having been outscored 13-3 in its first three meetings with Boston.
Senators vs. Bruins Betting Analysis
The Bruins are enormous favourites in this one as they look to keep pace with the Lightning, who rallied from two goals down to stun the Buffalo Sabres 7-5 on Friday. Boston has been virtually unbeatable at home for most of the season and has 21 victories in its previous 27 games at TD Garden. The Senators, who are coming off a 4-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, have dropped seven of their previous eight games on zero days of rest.
The teams are headed in opposite directions from a totals perspective. Ottawa has gone above the number in six of its previous eight games against Atlantic Division opponents and is 12-6 O/U in its last 18 contests against teams with winning records. The Bruins, on the other hand, are 2-5-2 O/U in their last nine games overall and have posted just six overs in their previous 29 encounters with divisional opponents.
Ottawa Senators
Friday’s defeat summarizes the Senators’ problems succinctly; despite outshooting Pittsburgh 35-23, Ottawa couldn’t put a puck in the net – and even if it had converted a couple of scoring chances, the goaltending wasn’t good enough for it to matter. Look for the Senators to address both ends of the ice after posting the second-worst return on investment in betting circles, generating a total of -1,880 units through its first 81 games on an average $100 bet.
Boston Bruins
If the Bruins beat Ottawa and Carolina defeats Tampa Bay, Boston will have a shot at the division and conference titles in its regular-season finale Sunday evening against the Florida Panthers. The Bruins have been one of the most consistent straight-up plays for bettors, ranking eighth overall in units won (+848) with two games remaining – but the majority of that value has been generated at TD Garden, with Boston +796 at home and just +52 on the road.
