NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Bruins vs Red Wings (Saturday, November 4)

Saturday, Nov. 4

7 p.m. ET

ESPN+

Bruins Odds	-141
Red Wings Odds	+117
Over / Under	6.5 -110 / -110

Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL odds here.

One week after the Boston Bruins took down the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 at TD Garden, the top two teams in the Atlantic Division will meet for a rematch at Little Caesars Arena.

At 9-0-1, the Bruins lead the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings are 6-4-1, but have seen their fortunes fade over the past 10 days or so. With that being the case, let's make a Bruins vs. Red Wings prediction.

After their record-setting 2022-23 regular season, the Bruins are at it again. They've collected 19 of a possible 20 points and have allowed their opponents an average of just 1.6 goals per game.

Boston's penalty kill has allowed just one goal and the team's 5-on-5 play is also solid, with control of 54.73% of expected goals.

Coach Jim Montgomery has been consistently alternating his goaltenders. If that pattern holds, it will be Linus Ullmark's turn on Saturday. He is continuing at his Vezina Trophy-winning pace with a .939 save percentage, a 1.77 goals-against average and 3.6 goals saved above expected.

Though he's appealing his four-game suspension, don't look for Charlie McAvoy to have his sentence reduced. On the injury front, Boston is missing Milan Lucic and Jakub Lauko up front, and Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort on the back end.

Boston is off to a fast start, but it's worth noting that three of its past four games have required more than 60 minutes to settle.

Detroit started the season with a scorching 5-1-0 record, but the pendulum has swung back the other way. Since Oct. 24, the Red Wings are 1-3-1 and have been outscored 18-11.

The Red Wings are hanging on to second place in the Atlantic Division, but they've played more games than any of their rivals.

Amidst their Jekyll-and-Hyde start to the season, Detroit's strengths have been on offense and special teams. However, the club's overall expected goals share at 5-on-5 isn't great (47.51%) and slipped to46.35% during this rough patch.

Also, Alex DeBrincat has cooled off following his red-hot start. After putting up nine goals in his first seven games, he's gone pointless in four straight contests. His center, Dylan Larkin, is also pointless in three straight.

In net, look for Ville Husso to get the nod. His .900 save percentage and 3.28 goals-against average don't look particularly impressive, but the 28-year-old has a solid 4-2-1 record and has saved 1.6 goals above expected.

On the injury front, Christian Fischer suffered an upper-body issue against the Panthers on Thursday and is considered day-to-day.

It's tempting to look at Boston's 4-1 win last week and assume something similar will happen in Detroit, but there's so much randomness in hockey that it's quite rare to see history repeat itself.

The Bruins keep finding ways to win, but aren't overpowering their opponents. McAvoy's absence is meaningful, as is Boston's injury situation, but the Bruins should be able to put together another strong defensive effort, stifle Detroit's power play, and score just enough to win.

As of Friday evening, BetRivers is offering the best moneyline odds for the Bruins (-139). That seems about right, but won't deliver much of a payout. Additionally, the odds at other sportsbooks are even less favorable.

With three of Boston's past four games going beyond 60 minutes, this doesn't seem like a good spot to look for a regulation or puck-line win.

Instead, bank on the Bruins' strong defensive game and the Wings' recent scoring struggles. Eight of Boston's 10 games this season have gone under 6.5 goals and there were just seven goals scored in the lone exception.

Bet on another low-scoring game Saturday.

Pick: Under 6.5 Goals

Bet This Instantly at FanDuel With QuickSlip!

The must-have app for NHL bettors

The best NHL betting scoreboard

Free picks from proven pros

Live win probabilities for your bets

DOWNLOAD NOW