Bruins vs. Lightning Prediction
The Boston Bruins lost their shot at the top seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs on the final day of the regular season as it instead went to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Can Boston upset host Tampa Bay this afternoon when they meet in Game 1 of the conference semifinals?
Game Snapshot
85 Boston Bruins at 86 Tampa Bay Lightning
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Amalie Arena at 3PM ET
TV: NBC
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Lightning are a -150 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Lightning are a +130 underdog, while the total sits at 6 goals. As of Saturday morning, 58 percent of public bets are being placed on host Tampa Bay. Check out our NHL Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Bruins fend off pesky Maple Leafs
Boston held a 3-1 series lead over Toronto in the first round with Game 5 on its home ice, but it took until Game 7 before the Bruins finally eliminated the Maple Leafs with a 7-4 home victory. Jake DeBrusk played the role of hero for Boston in the clinching win as he tallied two important goals, first tying the score at 1-1 in the first period and then adding what would turn out to be the game-winner in the third period as it made the score 5-4. DeBrusk scored five goals in the series after scoring 16 goals to go with 27 assists over 70 games in the regular season.
Lightning start, finish strong vs. Devils
After taking a 2-0 series lead by scoring five goals in each of the first two games against New Jersey, the Lightning suffered a hiccup in Game 3 as they lost 5-2. But Tampa Bay rebounded strong with a pair of 3-1 victories to take the series in five games. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was outstanding in the last two contests to wrap up the series as he made 27 and 26 saves in the two games, respectively. He finished with a stellar .941 save percentage for the series. Vasilevskiy went 44-17-3 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .920 save percentage during the regular season.
NHL Betting Trends
Boston
The over is 5-0-2 in the last seven Boston games following a win. The Bruins are 5-1 in their last six meetings in Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay
The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings. The Lightning are 1-7 in their last eight games after their opponent scored five or more goals in their previous game.
Prediction:
Boston has had solid success lately in Tampa Bay, but the Lightning are the fresher team coming in although the Bruins have had two days of rest. With Vasilevskiy playing better hockey right now than Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, I have to take the hosts here in Game 1.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING -150