Boston Bruins vs Anaheim Ducks Betting Preview
The Boston Bruins are searching for answers after another narrow loss, dropping their fifth straight in heartbreaking fashion Tuesday against Florida. Now, first-year coach Marco Sturm’s team returns to TD Garden Thursday to face the Anaheim Ducks, looking to turn effort into results.
Anaheim enters 3-2-1 following a 5-2 road win over Nashville that ended a brief skid. The Ducks have mixed explosive scoring nights with low-output efforts, making consistency their top challenge early in the season.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with both teams aiming to climb their respective divisional standings.
Line Movement and Odds
According to the latest NHL odds, Boston opened as a -120 favorite, with Anaheim around +100 on the moneyline. The total opened at 6 and has held steady, though early action shows sharp bettors leaning toward the Over, while most public tickets sit on the Bruins.
Boston’s recent one-goal losses have tightened their expected margin, while Anaheim’s strong road showing in Nashville pushed their side from +115 to near even money. Books continue to test Boston’s resilience despite their current skid.
Matchup Breakdown
Boston’s defensive structure has frayed under pressure. The Bruins have allowed 3.8 goals per game during their losing streak and have been short-handed 21 times across that span. Their penalty kill remains aggressive but overworked, giving up costly goals late in games. Still, strong play from Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm provides a spark offensively.
For Anaheim, Leo Carlsson’s early-season breakout—three goals and four assists—has solidified his role as a top scoring threat. Coach Joel Quenneville’s fourth line delivered against Nashville, with Ross Johnston posting a goal and two assists. The Ducks’ power play (5-for-19, 26.3%) ranks top-five leaguewide, and that could pose problems for Boston’s tired penalty unit.
Goaltending will be crucial: Lukas Dostal’s .914 save percentage steadied Anaheim, while Jeremy Swayman needs a bounce-back night to stabilize Boston’s net.
Injuries and Conditions
Boston Bruins
- Hampus Lindholm (D) – Questionable, hamstring
- Jordan Harris (D) – Out, undisclosed
Full details: Boston Bruins injury report
Anaheim Ducks
- Chris Kreider (LW) – Questionable, illness
- Jansen Harkins (C) – Out, upper body
- Ryan Strome (C) – Out, upper body
Full details: Anaheim Ducks injury report
The game is indoors at TD Garden, so no weather factors are in play.
Best Bets and Prediction
The Bruins are 0-5 in their last five and have seen four of those end by one goal. Anaheim has covered the puck line in two of its last three and continues to get quality goaltending. With both offenses producing, the Over 6 (-112) is the top play.
Projected Score: Bruins 4, Ducks 3
Best Bet: Over 6 total goals
Lean: Bruins moneyline (-120)
ScoresAndStats Handicappers and Picks
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