NHL betting preview (March 11): Panthers vs. Bruins odds
Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Tuesday’s NHL matchup between the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins.
Panthers vs. Bruins Odds
- Florida Panthers Moneyline: -235
- Boston Bruins Moneyline: +190
- Puck Line: Panthers -1.5 (+120), Bruins +1.5 (-140)
- Game Total: 5.5 (Over -105, Under -115)
Game odds via Sports Interaction.
Handicapping the Panthers (40-24 SU, 31-33 ATS, 30-32-2 O/U)
Florida enters Tuesday’s game on a six-game win streak. The Panthers have also shut out their opponents in three out of the last four matchups. The team has gone 15-5-0 since Jan. 14, and hasn’t lost consecutive games in that time.
The Panthers aren’t at full strength, either. Matthew Tkachuk hasn’t played since suffering a groin injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off, missing the last seven games, and now Florida will also be without Aaron Ekblad. On Monday, Ekblad was suspended for 20 games, without pay, for violating the terms of the league’s performance enhancing substance program. With Ekblad suspended, one would have to think newly acquired defenseman Seth Jones will take his spot on the top power play.
Former Bruins’ captain Brad Marchand also won’t be in the lineup. Marchand, who was acquired by Florida at the trade deadline, is currently week-to-week with an upper-body injury and is not expected to make his Panthers’ debut until later this month. Marchand is travelling with the team on the road trip, though.
According to Evolving Hockey, the Panthers rank first in five-on-five expected goals percentage and, because no team has allowed fewer five-on-five goals, they’ve posted a 73.11 percent goal share since the NHL returned to action. Florida also has the second-best shot attempt share since Feb. 22.
Handicapping the Bruins (29-36 SU, 29-36 ATS ATS, 31-33-1 O/U)
The Bruins shut out the Lightning 4-0 in their first game after the trade deadline, controlling 60% of expected goals and 57% of even-strength shots, per Evolving Hockey—an uncommon performance for them this season.
However, don’t expect that to last. With limited talent, especially after the deadline, Boston is unlikely to stay competitive. They traded Marchand to Florida, Brandon Carlo to Toronto, and Charlie Coyle to Colorado, receiving Casey Mittelstadt from the Avalanche and Henri Jokiharju from Buffalo. But with those moves and injuries on defense, the Bruins are short on skill.
Boston is still without its top-two defenders, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. We already know that Lindholm won’t play again this season, and based on McAvoy’s injury timeline, there’s also a chance that we’ve seen the last of him, too. Additionally, the Bruins demoted forward Matthew Poitras back to Providence on Monday.
Of course, Boston can still rely on goaltender Jeremy Swayman as they did on Saturday versus the Lightning, but that was just his first win since Feb. 4, and Boston has lost eight of its last 10 games. This will be the fourth and final meeting between the Bruins and Panthers this season, and Florida has won two of three games so far.
Best bets for Panthers vs. Bruins
- Aleksander Barkov Over 1.5 Points (+165) at Sports Interaction
Aleksander Barkov has been locked in over his last 15 games, registering six goals and 15 assists, but he’s really been turning it on since the start of February. The 29-year-old has recorded seven multi-point games in his last 12 outings.
- Seth Jones Over 0.5 Points (+110) at Sports Interaction
Jones hasn’t registered a point in three games since joining the Panthers, but he’s averaged 21:03 of playing time and he’s been shooting the puck a lot. Jones has registered eight shots with the Panthers so far, and with Ekblad suspended, he should get a chance to play on Florida’s top power play.