When you have a season that spans 82 games, you tend to see periods of highs and lows for every single team in the NHL. With that in mind, divisional and conference races that looked to be getting out of control suddenly start to tighten up again. Things are at their very tightest in the Pacific Division right now, with just a few points separating the top 5 teams. The race for supremacy in the Eastern Conference is also closer than it has been all season long, with no less than 5 teams having already crossed the 60-point barrier. It goes without saying that the second half of the season is going to be fun to watch as we try to figure out how all of this will play out.
Two of the teams in thick of the battle for the Eastern Conference crown will go head to head on Thursday night, with the surging Pittsburgh Penguins hitting the road to face the Boston Bruins, who currently sit at the top of the Atlantic Division. This should be an entertaining one to watch and it is the Bruins who are favored by 1 ½ on home ice. The goal total for this one is set at 6.
Penguins vs Bruins 2020 NHL Week 15 Lines & Game Preview
- When: Thursday, January 16 at 7 PM EST
- Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Week 15 Lines: Boston Bruins -1.5 (Total 6)
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins?
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been playing great hockey of late, but they got themselves a real boost a couple of nights ago when Sidney Crosby returned from injury to face the Minnesota Wild. Rather than easing back into things after a few months on the injured list, Crosby stole the show with a 4-point night. The Penguins ran out 7-3 winners in that one, taking their record over the last 10 games to a very impressive 8-1-1.That run of form takes the Penguins to 29-12-5 on the season, giving them 63 points on the season, which leaves them just 4 points back of the Washington Capitals, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh will be looking for some revenge here, as they went down 6-4 on the road to the Bruins earlier this season.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.50
- Shots: 32.87
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.85
Defense
- Goals: 2.72
- Shots: 29.67
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.01
Why bet on the Boston Bruins?
The comfortable lead that the Bruins had at the top of the Atlantic Division is beginning to crumble, as they are looking over their shoulders at a hard-charging Tampa Bay Lightning team that has won 9 of their last 10 to get within 6 points of Boston. The Bruins are not really helping their own cause at the moment, losing back to back games to fall to 5-2-3 in their last 10.
Both of those defeats came on the road, so you can bet that Boston will be happy to get back home, where they are 15-2-9 in their own building. As you can see, a lot of their home games have resulted in losses in OT or SO games, which explains why they are just 10-16 ATS on home ice.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.31
- Shots: 31.33
- PP/PK Percentage: 27.27
Defense
- Goals: 2.67
- Shots: 31.02
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.90
Penguins vs Bruins 2020 NHL Week 15 Betting Trends
- Penguins are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 games against an opponent in the East conference
- Bruins are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 10 of Boston’s last 12 games against Pittsburgh
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Penguins vs Bruins
There are few teams as hot as the Pittsburgh Penguins right now, which is why I think they might be a very good bet as the underdog here. If you want to play things a little safer, I would play Pittsburgh against the spread.Score: Pittsburgh Penguins 4 – Boston Bruins 3
