NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Panthers vs. Bruins (October 17)
Maddie Meyer/Getty. Pictured: Hampus Lindholm.
Panthers vs. Bruins Odds
| Panthers Odds | -120 |
| Bruins Odds | +100 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | TVAS |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers both come into this Monday night game with a record of 2-0.
Despite missing some key players in the lineup due to injury, the Bruins have looked great to start the season, but there is no doubt that the Panthers will be the best team they've played to this point.
The Panthers have looked good under new head coach Paul Maurice, but this will be their third road game in five days so we might see a little bit of fatigue from them.
Which one of these two teams will remain undefeated?
Florida Panthers Facing Regression
The Florida Panthers made a ton of changes during the offseason and thus far it appears as though these moves are paying off.
Matthew Tkachuk is currently leading the team in points through the first two games as he has tallied two goals and one assist. Tkachuk is arguably the most important player on this roster since he has to replace the 115-point-scoring Jonathan Huberdeau from last year.
Even though they are off to a solid start, I don't think this Panthers team is going to be nearly as good as they were last season. They're already struggling a bit on the power play as they have gone a combined 1-for-11 through the first two games.
Sergei Bobrovsky is the expected starter for the Panthers. Bobrovsky did not start the previous game but in his first appearance, he made 32 saves on 33 shots for a .970 SV% against the New York Islanders, which helped lead the Panthers to a 3-1 victory. Bobrovsky is also currently ranked second in the league with a 3.4 GSAx.
This will be the Panthers' final road game of their three-game trip to start the season so they should be a bit tired from the week of travel and they might be looking ahead to their home opener. I can see them dropping the ball in this game.
Boston Bruins Looking For Hot Start
The Boston Bruins have emphasized how important their start of the season is since they will be without key players like Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk for the beginning of the season.
They will be playing their first game of what is a back-to-back for them so they will most likely start Linus Ullmark in the blue paint. Ullmark played the season opener, where he was fantastic as he made 33 saves on 35 shots for a .943 SV%.
The Bruins have been pretty solid in their own end of the ice despite the fact that they are missing their top two defensemen. They currently have the second-fewest high-danger chances against in the league with 16.
David Krejci has made a strong return to the NHL after playing overseason last year. Krejci and David Pastrnak are currently tied for the team lead in points with four as they each have one goal and three assists.
The B's have been the second-best offensive team in the league, starting off the season averaging 5.5 goals scored per game.
Boston hasn't had any problems putting the puck in the back of the net so I expect their offense to continue to produce, especially on home ice.
Panthers vs. Bruins Pick
The Bruins have been much better than some people may have been expecting right off the bat and Linus Ullmark is just as good, if not better than Sergei Bobrovsky. I don't think the Panthers roster is all that scary and I think the Bruins actually have just as much talent.
Starting the season on a road trip could be pretty exhausting for the players. The Panthers are coming off of a tough game against the Buffalo Sabres in which they played well, but not great.
The Bruins always have an edge when they are playing at TD Garden and I think it is rare to find them as a home underdog. I like the Bruins to play a more complete game than the Panthers and find a way to extend their win streak to three.
Pick: Boston Bruins ML (+100)
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