Bruins -140 Favorites Against Vancouver Canucks, Can Sweep Road Trip

• The Boston Bruins visit the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (Feb. 22, 10pm ET)
• Bruins lead NHL in scoring first, but Vancouver has been perfect when leading after two periods
• See the odds and best bet for tonight’s game which see’s Vancouver as the home underdogs

The Bruins vs Canucks odds have Boston at -145 to win versus the Vancouver Canucks. A victory would be Boston’s sixth in a row and complete their road trip sweep. Boston won their initial bout 4-0, and has defeated Vancouver in six of their 14 games since meeting in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

Both teams recently traded for forwards. Vancouver acquired right wing Tyler Toffili, while Boston traded for forward Ondreij Kase. Toffoli had an assist in his Canucks debut and will play tonight. Kase has been sidelined since Feb. 7, and won’t make his Bruins debut this weekend. Boston has won nine of their last 10 contests, whereas Vancouver has gone 4-4-2.

Boston Bruins vs Vancouver Canucks Odds

*Odds Taken February 22

Bruins Lead League in Scoring First

Boston has been extremely successful at scoring first this season. They currently lead the league in games where they’ve scored first (39), winning 24 of those contests, which ties for fifth-most in the league.

However, this only gives Boston a .615 win percentage in games where they score first, which is the eighth-lowest among NHL teams. Boston scoring first could still be a good bet to go with, but shouldn’t be a primary determinant if you’re thinking about taking the Bruins to outright win.

Canucks Haven’t Leading After Two Periods

Only eight teams are perfect when leading after two periods since January, one being the Canucks. They are 18-1-1 when leading after the second period this season. Five of the seven games they’ve won when leading after two periods were in January, and they’re 10-0-1 when leading heading into the third period at home.

Canucks are 16-1-1 when they score at least 5 goals.

They are 18-1-1 when leading after 40 minutes (10-0-1 at home).

— Chris Faber ??? (@ChrisFaber39) February 11, 2020

Boston has won 10 of 13 games when leading after two periods since January, scoring 44 goals and surrendering 26 after two periods in 2020. Although Boston has won more games when leading after two periods since January, taking Vancouver to win if they’re leading Boston after two periods is a compelling in-game wager to take, considering their recent perfect record in that situation.

Bruins Stars Have Dominated Against Canucks

In the nine games Boston has played against Vancouver since 2015, they’ve gone 5-3-1. Three of their top players—Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci—have all averaged over a point-per-game over that span. Marchand has seven goals and 11 points. Bergeron and Krejci each have three goals and 10 points.

The trio combined for two goals and three points when both teams met earlier this season, along with an aggregated total of 11 goals and 28 points since February. For the Canucks, only Bo Horvat has averaged more than a point-per-game (six goals and 10 points) in his team’s last nine games versus Boston.

Best Bets

It’s not often the road team is favored. Vancouver is 5-1 with money line and points wagers as the home underdogs, while Boston is respectively 15-7 and 8-14 when favorited on the road. The Bruins have recently been on a big run, but played a hard-fought game against Calgary last night.

Vancouver had Friday off, and will play a worn Bruins team in the second of back-to-backs on the road. Boston has previously gone 2-2-0 in those specific types of games this season. Boston is a good bet to score first, but Vancouver could be a great underdog wager.

The Pick: Vancouver Canucks (+120)