Panthers vs. Bruins NHL Picks: Boston to hand Florida its 1st loss?

The top team in the NHL, the Florida Panthers, will skate into Boston to take on the Bruins in a matchup of Atlantic Division rivals Saturday. These teams met just three days ago when the Panthers earned a 4-1 victory. Will the Bruins get their revenge or will Florida keep its undefeated streak alive?

Just a few weeks ago, bettors could have gotten a fine price on the Panthers to win it all this season. That's right, the Panthers were +2200 to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, which made them the 10th choice of 32 teams. They appear to be a team on a mission this season. Last night, they made a stop in Motown and kept their winning streak intact and their perfect record untarnished with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

The Bruins will try to regroup after dropping their last two games, a 4-1 loss to Florida and then a 3-0 setback against Carolina on Thursday night. Boston enters this matchup with a 3-3 mark and is looking for either rookie Jeremy Swayman or veteran Linus Ullmark to seize the starting job in net.

Here are my picks and predictions for Saturday's NHL matchup between the Panthers and the Bruins (Odds via DraftKings; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).

Panthers vs. Bruins Game Info

Date/Time: Saturday, October 30, 2021, 7 p.m. ETTV: ESPN+Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Panthers vs. Bruins Odds Analysis

The NHL odds on this game opened with the Bruins installed as -115 home favorites, but that number has shot up to as high as -130 at many of the licensed U.S. sportsbooks. Although, Boston as low as -120 can still be found for those leaning towards the Bruins winning this divisional tilt.

As for the total, we have not seen one book deviate from the original Over/Under of 6 (-110) and it is unlikely we will see this rise or fall even a hook.

Panthers vs. Bruins Betting Picks

Bruins (-120) ????Under 6 (-110) ?

Panthers vs. Bruins Predictions

Bruins (-120) ????

This is a brutal stretch for the Panthers. They just finished an overtime game against the Red Wings and now have to hop a plane from Detroit to Boston to take on a rested Bruins team that will be looking for payback on Saturday night.

Moreover, Florida will likely be suiting up backup goalie, 20-year-old Spencer Knight, as Sergei Bobrovsky tended the twine last night. That's another good piece of news for the Bruins, with all due respect to the young and inexperienced Knight.

The Bruins have been tinkering with second-line combinations in practice and they think they have one that clicks. Let's lay the small number against what should be a road-weary Panthers squad and cash another one of our NHL picks.

Under 6 (-110) ?

I'm leaning towards the Under as I think the Panthers will be focused on a defensive struggle if their legs aren't ready for another 60 minutes of up-tempo hockey. Look for a score of around 3-2 when the final buzzer sounds.

Picks made 10/29/2021 at 9:55 p.m. ET