The Ottawa Senators face off against the Boston Bruins at the Canadian Tire Centre this Thursday. The Bruins (-140) are top of the Atlantic Division – the Senators are bottom. But Ottawa (+120) are currently on a mini-revival of sorts, having won their last two games. Can they keep it going against the Bruins? In our latest NHL betting picks, we take a closer look.
The Ottawa Senators sit bottom of the Atlantic Division with an 18-24-1 record. They currently have just 37 points and are well adrift of the Canadians, who are second bottom on 45 points. The Boston Bruins are at the opposite end of the table. Jim Montgomery’s team has a 29-9-9 record and has 67 points, five more than the second-placed Panthers.
On paper, this looks like a mismatch. But the Senators have picked up two good wins recently. So, the Bruins need to be on their guard if they are not to suffer an embarrassing slip-up.
The form of Boston this season means they are the -200 favorites to win the Atlantic Division. Boston’s main rival to take the title is the Florida Panthers at +250. The Panthers sit second in the table, five points adrift, on 62.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are now out to +1200 to win the Atlantic Division, with the Tampa Bay Lightning down at +2800.
What about the latest Vegas odds to win the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup? Well, the favorite to lift the trophy is the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers are +750 to be the champions for the first time since 1990.
Since their domination in the 1980s, the Oilers have flattered to deceive. But this season, they have looked like the real deal again.
According to the best Vegas sportsbooks, the franchises most likely to challenge the Oilers for the Stanley Cup are the Colorado Avalanche (+900) and the Florida Panthers (+900). Also in the mix at odds of +1000 are the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, and Dallas Stars.
The New York Rangers (+1100), Toronto Maple Leafs (+1200), and the Vegas Golden Knights (+1200) are also in with a chance in what is one of the most open futures markets to win the Stanley Cup we have seen in years.
It will be no surprise to see that the best NHL betting sites make the top-of-the-table Boston Bruins favorite to beat the bottom-of-the-table Ottawa Senators. On the money line, the Bruins are -140. The Senators are +120.
Moving on, and on the handicap spread, Ottawa is receiving the 1.5-point start. To win with the spread, the Senators are -200. To win and cover the spread, Boston is +165.
On the total points line, the spread is 6.5. Over and under are both -110. More betting options are available on our NHL odds table. For our odds, we have only used the best ice hockey betting sites.
| Senators vs. Bruins |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senators | +120 | +120 | +120 |
| Bruins | -140 | -140 | -140 |
| Senators (+1.5) | -200 | -200 | -200 |
| Bruins (-1.5) | +165 | +165 | +165 |
| Over 6.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 6.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
The Senators have had a dreadful 2023/24 season. There is little chance of them climbing off the bottom of the Atlantic Division table, so wins over the big boys are about all they have left to play for.
In their last ten matches, the Senators are 4-5-1, and they are on a winning streak of two. The wins both came on the road. First up, they defeated the Flyers 5-3 last weekend, and then on Tuesday night, they beat the Canadians 4-1.
The Bruins suffered a setback in Boston last night, losing 3-2 at home to the Carolina Hurricanes. The defeat snapped a five-match winning streak and also saw the Hurricanes close the gap on the Rangers at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
In their last ten matches, the Bruins have a 6-1-3 record, so their form on the whole is okay. But when you analyze their recent five-match winning streak, you see that four of the five victories were in Boston.
A closer inspection of Boston’s recent form shows they have lost on three of their last four road trips. The only win was a 4-3 overtime victory against the Blues, the first of their five-match winning streak.
After such an awful season, the Ottawa Senators would class a win over the Boston Bruins as a major success. And as we mentioned above, the recent form suggests that Ottawa has a chance.
Boston really needs to improve on the road if they are to win the Atlantic Division. But overall, their form this season has been good, and the recent blip could just be down to the grind of midseason.
The Bruins also have Brad Marchand in good form. The winger showed his value to the team again on Wednesday, scoring twice in the defeat against the Hurricanes and becoming the joint-fifth top scorer in the franchise’s history.
With Marchand in such good form, this match looks ideal for the Bruins to get back to winning ways. And overall, there just seems to be more reasons to back the Bruins, than not. Therefore, our betting pick is a win for the Bruins on the money line.
See below the best Las Vegas sportsbooks, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
