The high-stakes matchup and rivalry between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs make this a game with big implications on the Atlantic Division race, and it should be a highly entertaining one to bet on as well. The Dallas Stars will also look to keep their playoff push going and bank points to book their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Moneyline: Boston Bruins (-135) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (+110)
The Maple Leafs have struggled against the Bruins in recent memory, but this is the first matchup between these two teams since Nov. 6, 2021, which ended in a 5-2 Maple Leafs victory. This will be a classic defense versus offense situation with the Bruins allowing the fifth-fewest goals against per game and the Leafs scoring the third-most goals per game.
The two teams are pretty even in terms of home and away splits with the bruins being 20-10-2 at home and Toronto sporting a 17-12-3 away record. Toronto should have a sense of swagger heading into this game considering they are coming off a big win against the division-leading Florida Panthers in their last game. Auston Matthews is doing the heavy lifting on offense with 15 points in his last nine games despite serving his two-game suspension during that span. John Tavares is also coming off a two-goal effort in his last game, which should help the Leafs create two scoring lines.
Petr Mrazek will likely command the start considering he won his previous two games since being waived, allowing only two goals against in both starts. It’s hard to find this type of value on a betting line on a top team, and despite being in a hostile building with a lot of demons, it’s hard to go against the value that is being given on the moneyline in Toronto’s favor.
Moneyline: Dallas Stars (-165) vs Anaheim Ducks (+140)
The Dallas Stars are looking to avenge a 4-1 loss in their last game against the Vancouver Canucks and get back into the win column with a win against the Anaheim Ducks. Stars’ goaltender Jake Oettinger is playing somewhat inconsistently of late, which creates some doubt but is a good enough goalie to handle a team without much of an offensive game-breaker.
The Ducks have lost their last nine games, including their last three games on home ice, where they are barely over .500 at 16-14-4. Roope Hintz was held pointless in the team’s last game but still has six points in his last four games while centering the team’s top line.
The Ducks’ probable starter John Gibson is winless in his last seven starts and has allowed three or more goals in each of his last 15 starts. Despite getting captain Ryan Getzlaf back in the lineup last game, the team still lacks a legitimate point producer right now who can steal them a game. Ride the Stars because of their offensive firepower and their desperation to bank points and move up in the standings.
Odds via BetMGM and Yahoo
