Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils Prediction: Can the Bruins Exploit the Devils Flimsy Defense?
Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils Prediction: Can the Bruins Exploit the Devils Flimsy Defense?
Bruins vs. Devils Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
Date: Thursday, March 31
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (+100)
Click Here for Bruins vs Devils Odds
Bruins vs. Devils Over/Under Movement
Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils Prediction
Boston is 2-1 on the homestand, but they are coming off a 6-4 loss to the Maple Leafs, a game that was not as close as the score indicates. Toronto jumped out to a 6-1 lead late in the 2nd period. Boston currently holds the 1st Wild Card spot in the East and they are 2 points behind the Leafs for 3rd in the Atlantic. The Bruins received a boost with the return of Patrice Bergeron last game, who is a key cog in the Bruins lineup. The Devils have had a rough season, but they are an over bettors dream. They typically play high scoring games and are led by two studs in Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Even though the Devils have nothing to play for, they are a very pesky team and are never out of a game.
The Bruins are averaging 3.30 goals per game at home this season, where overs are 16-15. Boston's dynamic home power play is 2nd best in the league at a 28.3 percent clip. The Bruins are allowing 3.03 goals per game at home and their penalty kill is middle of the pack at 82.2%. Five on five, at home, the Bruins are 22nd in goals scored and 19th in goals against. Linus Ullmark is confirmed to get the start in net tonight. Ullmark has struggled at home this season where he sports a 2.86 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. He has given up 3 or more goals in 9 of his 14 home starts this season.
On the road this season, the Devils are averaging 2.94 goals per game and their power play is 2nd worst at 12.9 percent. The Devils' poor defensive numbers tell the story as New Jersey is allowing an even 4.00 goals per game, despite having a top 10 road penalty kill. Let's look at their five on five road numbers. The Devils are 7th in five on five goals on the road and they have allowed 94 goals, which is most in the league by a margin of 10. Their metrics are decent as they have allowed the 10th fewest high danger scoring chances, this leads to their main weakness this season, they goaltending. Injuries to MacKenzie Blackwood and Joantha Bernier have led to a tandem of Nico Daws and Jon Gillies. Daws, who has been the better of the two, is projected to start tonight.
This is the 3rd meeting of the season, the Bruins notched a 5-3 home win on January 2nd and a 5-2 road win on November 13th. I think we'll see an angry Bruins team, following the Toronto loss, and the Devils should be good for 2-3 goals against Ullmark. I am paying some juice to get this number to 6.
Bruins vs. Devils Pick
- Over 6 (-130) (Bet $130 to Win $100)
Receive $200 in FREE BETS after placing a $10 wager on Bruins vs. Devils Tonight
Article Author
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Tone has been handicapping the four major sports for over twenty years. An NHL enthusiast, Tone’s expertise lies on the ice. He’s excelled and profited finding the right angles on NHL games, particularly with player props, game props, and game totals. A contributor to several gaming sites, you can follow him on Twitter @TonesTakes.