Arizona Coyotes vs. Boston Bruins Free Preview

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In what’s already their final head-to-head matchup of the season, the Arizona Coyotes and the Boston Bruins clash at TD Garden for a cross-country showdown. The first puck will drop at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 7, and it’ll be broadcasted live on Fox Sports Arizona.

Arizona Coyotes at Boston Bruins Odds

With a moneyline of -215, Boston enters the matchup as the substantial favorite. The line for Arizona sits at +180, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -110 for the over and -110 for the under. Boston is 12-13 straight up (SU) and has lost 4.0 units for moneyline bettors this year. That winning percentage, ranked 3rd in the Atlantic Division in this young season, is a regression from the 44-38 record that the team posted during the 2016-17 season campaign. Through 25 regular season outings, 13 of its games have gone under the total, while 12 have gone over and none have pushed. The team is 7-6 SU at home this season. The Bruins have converted on 18.8 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked third overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 85.0 percent of all penalties. The Bruins, as a collective unit, have been penalized 4.2 times per game overall this season, and 3.0 per game over their last five outings at home. The team has been forced to defend opposition power plays for just 8.2 minutes per game over their last 10 outings, overall. Sporting a .906 save percentage and 24.1 saves per game, Tuukka Rask (five wins, 11 losses, and two OT losses) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Bruins this year. If head coach Bruce Cassidy chooses to give him a rest, however, the team could go with Anton Khudobin (7-4-4 record, .922 save percentage, 2.53 goals against average). The Bruins will continue seeking leadership out of David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Pastrnak (24 points) is up to 14 goals and 10 assists and has recorded two or more points in seven different games this year. Marchand has nine goals and 11 assists to his credit and has recorded at least one point in 12 games. Over on the other bench, Arizona is 7-23 straight up (SU) and has lost 14.1 units for bettors taking the moneyline thus far. Through 30 regular season matches, 16 of its games have gone under the total, while 13 have gone over and just one has pushed. The Coyotes are 4-14 SU as the away team this season. The Coyotes have converted on just 16.3 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s ranked 28th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 15th overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.0 percent of all opponent power plays. Arizona’s players have been penalized only 3.1 times per game this season, and 2.4 per game over their last five road outings. The teams been forced to defend opponent power plays just 6.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings. Antti Raanta (23.8 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for Arizona. Raanta has four wins, nine losses, and two OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .914 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average this year. Clayton Keller (11 goals, 12 assists) will lead the offensive attack for the visiting Coyotes.

Arizona Coyotes at Boston Bruins Free Picks

Predictions: SU Winner – Bruins, O/U – Over

Betting Notes

  • Boston is 1-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Arizona is 1-1 in shootouts.
  • The total has gone over in three of Boston’s last five outings.
  • Boston’s attempted 31.1 shots per game overall this season (ranked 20th in the NHL), and 32.0 over their last 10 outings.
  • Over Boston’s last ten outings, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-4 in those games).
  • This game features two of the more physical teams in the league. Arizona skaters have given out the seventh-most hits in the league (23.6 per game) and the Bruins have tallied the third-most (24.5).