Red Wings vs. Bruins prediction, odds, pick

The Boston Bruins have been resurging since firing Jim Montgomery and hiring Joe Sacco. They have won four of six games but still haven’t figured out their offensive woes. The team is playing better defense for their new coach, which could be put to the test when facing this Detroit Red Wings offense. The Bruins have won two consecutive matchups against the Red Wings, including their most recent meeting on November 23, when Boston won 2-1 in Detroit. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Red Wings-Bruins prediction and pick.

Here are the Red Wings-Bruins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Red Wings-Bruins Odds

Detroit Red Wings: +1.5 (-150)

Moneyline: +165

Boston Bruins: -1.5 (+125)

Moneyline: -200

Over: 5.5 (-120)

Under: 5.5 (+100)

How To Watch Red Wings vs. Bruins

Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

TV: ESPN+

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why the Red Wings Could Cover the Spread/Win

With a win in this game, the Red Wings could move within a game of the Bruins for third in the Atlantic Division. Detroit has a 10-11-3 record, as they have two games in hand on Boston with the same number of losses and overtime losses. The Red Wings are 4-4-2 over their last ten games but have lost two consecutive games because of poor defensive efforts. They lost back-to-back home games 5-4 to the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils, which came after wins in three of their past four games.

The Red Wings hope Ville Husso can find his American Hockey League form instead of what he has been doing in Detroit. Husso has been lights out in Grand Rapids, owning a 4-0 record with a 1.58 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage. He has an abysmal 4.90 goals-against average and a .818 save percentage in three games in Detroit.

Why the Bruins Could Cover the Spread/Win

The Bruins had reached rock bottom when they lost three consecutive games under Jim Montgomery, including a blowout loss as a -177 favorite against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Columbus loss was the breaking point, as the front office fired Montgomery and hired assistant coach Joe Sacco. The front office hoped Sacco could make the Bruins more defensively responsible, which came true in his first game when they defeated the Utah Hockey Club 1-0. The Red Wings victory was next up, before they lost 2-0 to the Vancouver Canucks. Boston’s offense could be figuring out their issues, as they beat the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens in two of their last three games with six-goal performances.

It could be bad news for the Red Wings and the rest of the league, as Jeremy Swayman is settling in after a slow start thanks to his contract holdout. Joonas Korpisalo also had a slow start, but the Bruins’ goaltending tandem is starting to give Bruins fans a glimpse of past tandem successes. Over the past five games, the duo combined for a 2.00 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. It’s a vast improvement over their season statistics of a 3.08 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage. The Red Wings have a good goaltending tandem, but they have some injury concerns, with Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon on the injury list.

Final Red Wings-Bruins Prediction & Pick

If Lyon or Talbot could play in this game, it’d be a much closer matchup. However, the Bruins’ defense and surging goaltenders present a massive advantage over Husso for the Red Wings. The Bruins’ defense outlasted the Red Wings a little over a week ago, and Boston’s offense looked even better since that game. Take the Bruins to continue their run under Sacco in this matchup.

Final Red Wings-Bruins Prediction & Pick: Bruins -1.5 (+125)