Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Winter Classic Predictions and Picks

Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview

Back in November the Bruins won a thrilling 6-5 overtime game against the Penguins to open up their season series with the second game coming today as part of the NHL Winter Classic. WagerTalk NHL handicapper Kevin Dolan breaks down this Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Winter Classic game giving his betting trends and angles before puck drop.

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Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Odds

Monday, January 2	NHL Winter Classic Betting Notes
Moneyline:	Boston Bruins -175 vs Pittsburgh Penguins +150
Puckline:	Bruins -1.5 (+145) / Penguins +1.5 (-170)
Total:	6.5 (Over +100 / Under -120)
Arena:	Fenway Park in Boston, MA (Odds Above Courtesy of DraftKings)
Game Time:	2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT

Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Analysis

The Boston Bruins haven’t been their usual dominant selves of late, dropping two of their last three games against the Senators and Sabres respectively, but face a team in Monday’s Winter Classic over at Fenway Park in even worse form.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost four straight games heading into Monday’s clash with their last road game coming via a 5-1 blowout loss against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, so they’ll be hoping history doesn’t repeat itself here.

The two teams have already faced each other once already this season, with Boston coming out on top in a 6-5 OT thriller in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have had a fairly torrid record in recent years visiting Boston however, winning just 5 of their 21 meetings here against the Bruins.

Penguins Elite On Penalty Kill Percentage

The Penguins have shown their effectiveness this year when on the ice with a man down, putting up a penalty kill percentage of 83.90% this season (the league average is 78.45%), which is the second-highest mark in the entire league.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, they face the only other team above them in that category here on Monday as the Bruins boast an even better 84.73% PK% this season, #1 in the league overall.

Despite Recent Bump, Boston’s Numbers Still Shine

When you’ve got an 82-game season on deck, you’ll invariably hit rough patches along the way, but Boston have shown through their electric numbers this year that they’re definitely here for the long haul.

The Bruins boast the league’s #1 scoring defense this season along with having the 2nd best scoring offense as well. On top of that, the Bruins are also getting it done with their underlying data as well, ranking top ten in the league on both offensive xG and defensive xGA this season, and are allowing the 2nd lowest high-danger conversion percentage to opponents this season as well.

Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction

With the family-friendly nature of the occasion and over 37,000 fans expected in attendance, this game should provide a great atmosphere, however, that shouldn’t detract from the fact Boston are the better team heading into this one and we expect them to grab the W at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.

Even with two of their last three games coming as outright losses, Boston still outshot those respective opponents by a combined 108-77 tally, and that offensive pressure should pay dividends for the Bruins on Monday against a Penguins defense that is allowing the 4th most shots to opponents this year.

Take the Boston Bruins to get back to winning ways against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Winter Classic on Monday over in Fenway.

Prediction: Boston Bruins Moneyline -175


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Puck Time | NHL Betting Preview

Join Carmine Bianco and Andrew McInnis for Friday’s edition of Puck Time as our panel of professional hockey handicappers break down this weekend’s NHL betting card. Join the Puck Time crew every week day at 11am ET / 8am PT as we discuss the NHL betting slate from a variety of handicapping angles.

NHL Live Odds Screen

WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the moneylines, pucklines, totals and betting percentages for all of Friday’s NHL action, including this Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins showdown, from your desktop or phone.

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Meet the Author

‘The sharpest sports mind in Ireland’ is how one prominent newspaper dubbed Kevin Dolan after he became the first foreigner ever to win the World Series of Handicapping tournament back in 2015. “The Irishman” made his start wagering on GAA, football, soccer and boxing, all to immense success.

Since becoming a professional bettor, he has since lit up the sports betting scene in the U.S. and abroad, winning two handicapping awards and writing a best-selling book on sports handicapping named ‘The Complete Guide to Sports Betting’.

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