NHL Odds, Pick & Preview: Bruins vs. Golden Knights (March 3)
André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner.
- The Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Boston Bruins to Sin City for Thursday's NHL clash.
- The Golden Knights enter this matchup as the slight favorites, but analyst Tony Sartori has his sights set on the game total.
- Check out below why he's expecting a low-scoring affair in this meeting.
Bruins vs. Golden Knights Odds
| Bruins Odds | +105 |
| Golden Knights Odds | -125 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-120 / +100) |
| Time | 9 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
We have a cross-country matchup Thursday night on ESPN, as Boston travels to Sin City to take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
This matchup will be the second meeting between these teams this season, with the Golden Knights coming out on top with a 4-1 win in the first contest.
That said, will we see another low-scoring affair or we get a rare high-scoring game between these franchises?
Boston Bruins
The Bruins continue their west-coast swing following Tuesday's 4-3 loss to Anaheim. It was a rare high-scoring game for the Bruins, who have seen the total stay under 5.5 goals in seven of their last 10 road games.
The primary reason for these low-scoring contests has been the stellar play of projected starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman. He has allowed two or fewer goals in six consecutive games, posting an immaculate 0.971 save percentage during that stretch.
The total has stayed under 5.5 in four of those starts for Swayman, who now ranks seventh among starting goaltenders in 5-on-5 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes. Helping out in front of Swayman is Boston's elite blue line, spearheaded by superstar defensemen Charlie McAvoy.
This season, the Bruins rank first in the league in 5-on-5 xGA against per 60 minutes and first in average xG value of opposing five-on-five shot attempts. Teams are averaging just 29.2 shots on goal when facing the Bruins this season, which is the sixth-lowest number in the league.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights end their three-game homestand following Tuesday's 3-1 home win against San Jose. That contest was another low-scoring affair for Vegas, as the total has stayed under 5.5 in eight of its last 11 games.
Since the injury to star winger Mark Stone, the Golden Knights' offense has taken a massive dip. In the last seven games without Stone, Vegas is averaging a mere 1.86 goals scored per outing.
Robin Lehner is Thursday's projected starter for the Golden Knights. Lehner looked sharp despite the light workload in his return from injury against San Jose on Tuesday, stopping 16 of 17 shots.
Lehner was in good form prior to his injury, allowing two or fewer goals in four of his previous five starts. He posted an impressive 0.924 save percentage during that stretch.
Bruins vs. Golden Knights Pick
Since the Golden Knights entered the league in 2017, they have faced off against the Bruins seven times. In those seven meetings, the total has not cleared 5.5 goals on six occasions.
With two strong goaltenders, I like that trend to continue in this matchup.
Pick: Total Under 5.5 Goals (+100 | Play up to -115)
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