It’s Thanksgiving in the USA, which means we are looking at a long weekend of Ice Hockey action, and here we are kicking the weekend off with our NHL betting picks on the high-flying Bruins, who will be looking to prevent the Hurricanes from blowing them off course.
The Boston Bruins have an exceptional start to the 2022/23 season. They are seven points clear at the top of the Atlantic Division, and this with a game in hand on their closest rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As for the Hurricanes, after a promising start, they’ve hit the buffers in recent days, losing their last four, which has seen them slip down to fourth in the Metropolitan Division.
Such is the run of form that the Bruins have been in; they’ve almost caught up with the Colorado Avalanche in the betting to win the Stanley Cup in 2023. In the latest Las Vegas NHL odds, the Colorado Avalanche are +500 to retain the cup, and the Boston Bruins are +550.
| 2023 Stanley Cup Winner Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Boston Bruins | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +900 | +900 | +850 |
| New Jersey Devils | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Carolina Panthers | +1400 | +1400 | +1300 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1400 | +1300 | +1200 |
| Florida Panthers | +1600 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1600 | +1200 | +1300 |
| Calgary Flames | +1600 | +1500 | +1500 |
| New York Rangers | +2000 | +1800 | +1600 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +2000 | +1800 | +2000 |
There is a significant gap until we get to the Vegas Golden Knights at +900 and the New Jersey Devils at +1200. After that comes the Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs, both at +1400.
Friday’s match is set to be a classic, with two of the betting favorites to win the 2023 Stanley Cup going head-to-head. And with a Friday lunchtime puck drop, it’s a great way to start a day of top-quality sporting action.
The match will be the first time these two sides have met this season. Last season, things didn’t go well for the Bruins. In total they played three times, with Carolina winning 3-0, 7-1, and 6-0.
After a seven-match winning streak, the Bruins were brought back down to earth at the FLA Live Arena on Wednesday night. The 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers wasn’t a loss that had been coming either.
Prior to the defeat, the Bruins had won their previous match 5-3 away to the Lightning, and that came after wins over the Blackhawks (6-1), and the Flyers (4-1), both at TD Garden.
The last thing they need while in this form is a couple of defeats, so a match against a struggling Hurricanes side could be just what the Bruins need to get back to winning ways as soon as possible.
As for the Hurricanes, they’re on a horror run. They’ve lost their last four, the most recent being a 4-0 reversal at home to the Coyotes. And given the Coyotes are the second bottom of the Central Division, that‘s a bad loss.
Before the four-game losing streak, the Hurricanes beat the Blackhawks 3-0, but that came on the back of yet another defeat, this time 4-1, away to Colorado. All in all, they’ve lost five of their last six.
This leaves me thinking that Friday’s fixture could be a defining match for Carolina. Lose it, and they are in the doldrums. Win it, and it would be a statement victory that could be a turning point in their season.
Right, onto our NHL picks for this match, and on the moneyline it’s no surprise that the Bruins are the favorites. Boston is -145 to win the match, with Carolina at +131. On the total points spread, over 6 points are +104, and under 6 points is -115.
It’s hard to make a case for the Hurricanes to win based on recent form, that’s for sure. And even though the Bruins lost their last match, the defeat did come out of the blue. So for my first betting pick, it has to be a win for the Boston Bruins.
The odds on Boston winning are brought to you from Bovada. Please check out our Bovada.lv sportsbook review for more great offers, along with information about their latest new customer offer.
Next up, and will it be over or under? In four of the Bruins last five matches there have been more than 6 goals scored, and in the one that didn’t beat the spread, it finished just under at 4-1.
As for the Hurricanes, five of their last six matches have been under 6. Two came close with five goals, and one had four goals. The other two had just three.
Despite one team having a lot of goals and the other not, as I think Boston will win, I’m expecting them to dictate the direction of the match. Therefore I’m going with over six goals for my total points pick.
