The Boston Bruins (20-18-5) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (21-15-2) on Thursday, January 9th. This game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa and televised on ESPN+. The Bruins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Lightning are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Jets. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Bruins vs Lightning

The Boston Bruins Are Coming Off A Win

With a 2-0 win over the Kraken, the Bruins moved to 20-18-5 this season. Boston covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 2 goals fell well short of the pre-game line of 6.

Both of the Bruins’ goals came in the first period, with Justin Brazeau scoring at 16:37 and Charlie Coyle adding another at 10:03. Boston’s defense held the Kraken scoreless, limiting them to 23 shots on goal.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Following a 7-4 loss to the Jets, the Lightning’s record is now 21-15-2. Tampa Bay initially led 2-0, but Winnipeg responded with seven of the game’s next nine goals. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 11 goals easily surpassed that mark. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line.

Four different Lightning players found the net in the game. Nikita Kucherov’s goal at 13:09 in the third period tied it at 4-4, but the Jets pulled away with three unanswered goals, including two empty-netters.

Boston Offense Breakdown

Boston took 33 shots on goal in their 2-0 win over Seattle, but only found the net twice. Justin Brazeau opened the scoring 3:23 into the game, marking his 5th goal of the season. Charlie Coyle added a power-play goal, his 2nd of the year, at the 10:03 mark in the first period.

Both goals came in the first period, and the Bruins recorded 16 giveaways. Boston picked up 4 assists, with Brad Marchand earning his 7th assist on Coyle’s goal.

Lightning Offense Breakdown

Tampa Bay’s offense put 30 shots on goal in their 7-4 loss to Winnipeg, with four different players finding the net. Brandon Hagel opened the scoring, netting his 7th goal of the season. Brayden Point followed with his 8th goal, which came on a power play.

Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal of the year, and Nikita Kucherov scored his 10th, unassisted. The Lightning recorded 8 giveaways in the game.

Boston Team Defense

Defensively, the Bruins will look to carry their momentum from their previous game, where they shut out the Kraken 2-0. Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves, finishing with a 100% save percentage. The Bruins’ defense also recorded 5 takeaways, 15 hits, and 27 blocks.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning struggled late, giving up three goals in the 3rd period, including two empty-netters. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with a save percentage of 84.4%.

Bruins vs Lightning Trends

• Through their last three road contests, the Bruins offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Boston posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
• The Lightning are 3-2 puck line in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
• Through their last five games as the betting underdog, the Lightning have a strong record vs the puck line going 4-1. Their straight up mark in these contests is 2-3.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting favorite, the Bruins have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.

Bruins vs Lightning Prediction

If you’re looking for a moneyline pick, my choice is the Lightning to take down the Bruins at home. With the moneyline currently at -161, I’m placing my bet on the Lightning straight-up.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Bruins to cover. Even if the Lightning win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Bruins should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.