Oilers vs Bruins Prediction, Odds & Picks (March 9): Boston Aims for 11th Straight Victory

Two of the NHL’s most exciting teams collide on Thursday, March 9 as the Edmonton Oilers go one-on-one with the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. It was only two weeks ago that Boston picked ups. 3-2 victory in Edmonton, leaving time to tell if tonight’s Oilers vs Bruins matchup will suffer a similar fate.

With a now-healthy Evander Kane and some big bodies added at the trade deadline, the Oilers are hoping to improve their team toughness.

They'll get a chance to put that to the test against the big, bad Bruins on Thursday. (@SportsnetSpec) https://t.co/IusJiVx3pk

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 9, 2023

The Oilers are coming off a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Connor McDavid scored twice while setting a new career-high for points in a season with 124. Edmonton has now won three of its last four games, making it interesting to see if the momentum continues tonight.

Meanwhile, the Bruins defeated the New York Rangers to the tune of a 4-2 final score in their last outing. Charlie Coyle led the way with a two-point effort as Linus Ullmark put forth another strong goaltending performance, stopping 24 of the 26 shots sent his way. As a result of the victory, Boston’s winning streak was extended to 10 straight games.

Tonight’s Oilers vs Bruins showdown also brings some interesting betting options to the table. Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Edmonton Oilers vs Boston Bruins Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Edmonton Oilers (35-22-8, 19-10-3 Away) vs. Boston Bruins (49-8-5, 26-2-3 Home)
• Venue & Location: TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts)
• Date: Thursday, March 9, 2023
• Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• Oilers vs Bruins TV Info: ESPN+

Oilers vs Bruins Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, March 9 at 9:44 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Edmonton Oilers +1.5 (-164)
• Boston Bruins -1.5 (+136)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-120)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-102)

Moneyline

• Edmonton Oilers +140
• Boston Bruins -170

Oilers vs Bruins Betting Trends

• Edmonton is 5-1 straight up in its last six road games against Boston.
• Boston is 7-1 straight up in its last eight home games.
• The total has hit the over in six of Edmonton’s last seven road games.
• The total has hit the under in six of Boston’s last eight games against the Western Conference.
• The total has hit the under in seven of the last eight Edmonton-Boston matchups.

Can Oilers Stop Streaking Bruins?

The Oilers head into tonight’s action hoping to be the ones to finally put an end to the Bruins’ streak. It’s going to be hard, but you also can’t doubt a team that’s led by the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

McDavid, unsurprisingly, has been playing like the world’s best player, racking up 57 points in his last 29 games. He’s also scored 12 times in his last eight games, which includes six multi-goal performances.

Meanwhile, Draisaitl has tallied 38 points in his last 26 contests. What’s even more impressive is the fact that he’s scored 20 times over that stretch.

Although the Oilers’ top players are thriving at the moment, they still have to deal with shutting down the best that the Bruins offer. David Pastrnak, Patrick Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy are all playing at point-per-game paces over Boston’s last 10 games.

On top of that, seven other Bruins players have recorded at least seven points in that span. Even defenseman Dmitry Orlov — who was acquired shortly before the trade deadline — has nine points in five games since joining Boston.

The Bruins also have the benefit of playing at TD Garden, where they’ve won seven of their last eight games. They displayed utter domination in the majority of those matchups, outscoring the last eight visiting teams 35-11 — including a pair of shutout victories.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that the Oilers are 5-1 in their last six trips to Beantown. They picked up a 5-3 win on their last trip back in November 2021.

Unfortunately, the Oilers have also lost four of their last six road games this season. They saw some sloppy defensive play in goaltending in those contests, proven by their surrendering 4.83 goals per game. Now, the Oilers have to deal with the Bruins, who sit second in the NHL with a 3.79 G/PG clip.

On top of that, the Oilers must make sure that their penalty kill is efficient. The unit only has a 70.8% success rate over the last seven road games. For reference, the Bruins boast the seventh-best power play in the league (23.2%).

As for the goaltending matchup, it’s hard not to side with the Bruins. Linus Ullmark has won each of his last seven starts, backstopping to a 1.85 goals-against average and .945 save percentage along the way.

While Stuart Skinner has been solid at times for the Oilers, he isn’t always consistent. He has a 5-3-2 record with a 2.70 GAA and .906 SV% in his last 10 starts, finishing with a sub-.900 SV% in five of those games.

Oilers vs Bruins Prediction and Picks

Oilers vs Bruins Prediction: Bruins 3, Oilers 2

Oilers vs Bruins Picks: Bruins ML (Best Value: -170 at BetOnline) & Under 6.5 Goals (Best Value: -102 at BetOnline)

The Bruins aren’t showing signs of slowing down, so it’s hard to bet against them. Boston just does everything right and with the entire lineup contributing, the Oilers are going to have a tough time shutting everyone down. It’s going to be another close contest like their last meeting, but playing at TD Garden gives the Bruins an undeniable edge.

I also recommend taking the under on the 6.5-goal total. On top of seven of the last eight Oilers vs Bruins matchups finishing with fewer than the projected point total, the two sides averaged just 5.13 goals in those outings. With Boston and Edmonton playing some great hockey lately, this one won’t get out of hand.

Other Edmonton vs Boston Betting Resources

• Oilers vs Bruins Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats