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NHL Betting Odds & Preview for Thursday – Stars at Bruins

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
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The Dallas Stars picked up an impressive 4-1 road victory at PNC Arena in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was an impressive performance despite a soldout crowd, the hoopla surrounding emergency goalie sensation David Ayres in the building, and a bevy of new additions to the Hurricanes roster. The Stars were able to overcome the adversity against a tough Eastern Conference playoff contender in front of a hostile crowd, and now they'll have to do the same thing again Thursday.

The Bruins are coming off a 5-2 home loss against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, as G Tuukka Rask suffered his first loss of the season in regulation. Look for G Jaroslav Halak to make the start in his one, facing G Ben Bishop for the visitors. The B's have dropped two straight in regulation, and they haven't lost three in a row in regulation in over two months. They have been dusted by a 14-5 margin in the past two games against Western Conference foes Vancouver and Calgary.

Dallas Stars at Boston Bruins
Date and Time: Thursday, February 27, 2020, 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
NHL Betting Online Odds at FanDuel: Bruins -175, Total 5
Stars at Bruins TV Coverage: NBCSN

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, & PA only)
Odds Subject to Change (T&C's Apply, 21+)

Dallas Stars at Boston Bruins Betting Odds Overview

The Stars and Bruins met in Dallas back on Oct. 3 in the season opener, as Rask outdueled Bishop in a low-scoring 2-1 game at American Airlines Center in Dallas as the 'under' connected. The Stars are a completely different team since then, however, as they opened the season 0-3-0, and 1-7-1 before piecing things together and developing their identity as a strong defensive team. The B's have not endured any such lengthy struggles.

Dallas Stars Current Form

The Stars have rattled off a 6-0-2 mark across their past eight games on the road, last losing in regulation away from home on Jan. 18 in a 7-0 dusting at Minnesota. For whatever reason, the Wild just seems to have the number of the Stars. However, the Stars also seem to struggle against the Bruins, going just 2-6 in the past eight meetings, with the favorite hitting in five of the past seven. The road team has connected in 10 of the past 13, so at least that trend is in the favor of the Stars.

Boston Bruins Current Form

The Bruins are on a roll, rattling off victories in 11 of the past 14 games overall, while going 12-3 in their past 15 as a favorite. They're also 7-1 in the previous eight as a home favorite, too. The Bruins are solid offensively, ranking eighth in the NHL with 3.3 goals per game, while ranking second on the power play at 25.1 percent. They're strong defensively, too, ranking No. 1 in goals against, while checking in third on the penalty kill at 83.8 percent.

Stars to Watch

F Roope Hintz went for a power-play goal and two assists in Tuesday's 4-1 win in Carolina, while F Denis Gurianov has a goal, four points and a plus-2 rating over the past four. F Jamie Benn is also on fire, picking up three helpers across the past three outings with a plus-3 rating.

 Former Bruins draft pick, F Tyler Seguin, has posted five goals and eight points with a plus-2 rating, including three-game winning goals, across the past eight outings. He has 24 shots on goal during the impressive span. Unfortunately for the Stars, D John Klingberg has been on an extending ice-cold streak, and he has just one assist over his past four outings.

Bruins to Watch

The Bruins are led by F David Pastrnak, who has rattled off 88 points this season. He is well on his way to his first 100-point campaign. He isn't afraid of taking a shot, either, posting 251 SOG. Pasta also has three goals and six points with a power-play marker and 15 shots over the past four outings, averaging 1.5 points per game during the span. F Brad Marchand was good for two goals, 10 points and a plus-6 across his past seven outings, averaging 1.43 points per outing.

D Matt Grzelcyk is good for a pair of assists, two penalty minutes and eight shots on goal while averaging 18:10 of ice time across the past two. F Chris Wagner has also helped provide some secondary or tertiary scoring lately, lighting the lamp in each of the past two. F David Krejci hasn't had a lot of luck lately, going scoreless with a minus-6 rating over the previous three.

Dallas Stars at Boston Bruins Selection Summary

These teams are each considered not only playoff contenders, but potential championship contenders. The B's sit atop the Atlantic Division at 39-13-12 with 90 points, going 21-3-7 at home. They have a five-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the division. The Stars have racked up 80 points, currently the third-highest total in the Western Conference. Unfortunately for them, they're also third in the ultra-competitive Central Division, so all points are crucial. They're 18-10-4 on the road this season. Look for the B's to bounce back and avoid a third straight loss in regulation, but it won't be easy.

Stars at Bruins Free Pick and Score Prediction

Bruins (-175)
Bruins 3, Stars 2


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