Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique, and the Anaheim Ducks will face off against David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in a cross-country tilt. The opening face-off takes place at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 20, and you can catch the game live on New England Sports Network.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Boston Bruins Odds
Anaheim (+140) is currently the underdog to Boston (-160), and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-125 for the over, +105 for the under).
Anaheim is 19-17 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 5.8 units this season. Through 36 regular season contests, 21 of its games have gone under the total, while 13 have gone over and just two have pushed. The Ducks are 9-8 SU on the road in 2018-19.
Anaheim has converted on just 15.3 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that places them in the bottom-5 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 14th overall, and it has successfully killed off 80.5 percent of all penalties..
Averaging 29.7 saves per game with a .927 save percentage, John Gibson (16-13-4) has been the primary option in goal for Anaheim this season. If Anaheim decides to rest him, however, the team may turn to Ryan Miller (5-5-1 record, .922 save percentage, 2.71 goals against average).
Boston is 18-16 straight up (SU) and has lost 3.0 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 34 regular season matches, 21 of its games have gone under the total, while 12 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team is 11-4 SU at home this year.
The Bruins have converted on 25.5 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 20th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 77.8 percent of all penalties.
Jaroslav Halak has denied 28.3 shots per game as the top option in the crease for the Bruins. Halak has 10 wins, nine losses, and two OT losses to his name and has recorded a .929 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average this season.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Boston Bruins Betting Predictions
Prediction: SU Winner – Bruins, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- A majority (55.6 percent) of Boston’s wins have been by two or more goals, and the team’s 10-10 overall in games decided by at least two scores. 6 of Anaheim’s 19 wins (31.6 percent) have been decided by two or more goals.
- The Ducks are 14-9 SU in games where they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Bruins are 6-5 SU when they spend more time in the box than the opposition.
- Anaheim (3-2 in shootouts) has more shootout experience coming into this one. Boston fell short in its lone shootout this season.
- For both of these clubs, the total has gone over in three of their last five games.
- Anaheim skaters have averaged 8.4 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 11.0 giveaways per game (ranked 22nd in the NHL).
- Boston has averaged 12.2 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 9.9 giveaways per game (ranked 17th).
- The Bruins this season have registered the 10th-most hits in the NHL (23.0 per game), but the club has averaged 26.6 over their past five games as the home team.
