Panthers vs. Bruins Game 3 prediction, odds, pick

09/05/2024 16:23

The series shifts to Beantown as the Florida Panthers meet the Boston Bruins on Friday for Game 3 of the second round, with both teams looking for a 2-1 edge. We’re here to share our NHL odds series, make a Panthers-Bruins Game 3 prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.

The Panthers defeated the Bruins 6-1 in Game 2 to even up the second-round series at one game apiece. Initially, the Bruins struck first when Charlie Coyle tipped a shot in, finishing a tic-tac-toe passing play as he finished up at the backdoor after creating the turnover to give the Bruins the lead.

But the Panthers answered back in the second period when Steven Lorenz redirected a twisted shot from Brandon Montour into the net to tie the game. Later, Aleksander Barkov pounced on a loose rebound for a goal to give the Cats the lead. Gustav Forsling clapped a shot into the net with two seconds left to give the Panthers a 3-1 advantage heading into the second intermission.

Eutu Luostarinen came through on a one-timer off a pass from Barkov to put it into the net to make it 4-1 Panthers. Next, Barkov slapped a shot in front of the net for a powerplay goal to give the Cats a 5-1 hold. Brandon Montour finished it off with a short-handed goal.

Barkov finished with two goals and two assists. Meanwhile, Sam Reinhart had four assists. Montour finished with one goal and two assists. Conversely, it was not a good night for the Bruins. David Pastrnak had no points and 15 penalty minutes. Ultimately, everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds: Panthers-Bruins Game 3 Odds

Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+205)

Moneyline: -125

Boston Bruins: +1.5 (-255)

Moneyline: +104

Over: 5.5 (-104)

Under: 5.5 (-118)

How to Watch Panthers vs. Bruins Game 3

Time: 7:10 PM ET/4:10 PM PT

TV: TNT, truTV, and Max

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Panthers Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Panthers bounced back from a brutal Game 1 loss to effectively handle the Bruins. Now, the goal is to do it again in a hostile environment. The Panthers won despite losing the faceoff battle. However, they also fired 33 shots and leveled 36 hits.

The Panthers also somehow won without any scoring from Matthew Tkachuk. Like Pastrnak, he had no points and 15 penalty minutes. Tkachuk still has four goals and six assists in the postseason. Meanwhile, Carter Verheghe has also struggled in this series, not scoring yet. Verhaeghe has five goals and four assists in the playoffs.

Barkov has woken up and continues to produce monster numbers. Now, he has four goals and six assists, including 0ne tally on the extra-man attack. Barkov also has been a faceoff king, winning 67 draws and losing just 47. Thus, expect him to continue to lead the Cats. Forsling now has one goal and four assists. Ultimately, he has become a reliable secondary option. Reinhart now has three goals and four assists. Also, he has won 24 draws and lost 22.

The defense will attempt to replicate its effort from Game 2, where it allowed just 15 shots and killed all three Bruins’ penalties. Furthermore, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is now 5-2 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a save percentage of .893. He did a great job recovering after a bad Game 1.

The Panthers will cover the spread if they continue firing shots at the net. Then, they need to shut down Pastrnak and all the threats Boston possesses.

Why The Bruins Will Cover The Spread/Win

After dominating the later stretch of Game 1, the Bruins could not replicate their success. In fact, they did the polar opposite, completely falling apart midway through the second period. They need their best players to set up scoring chances.

Brad Marchand now has three goals and seven assists after getting a helper in Game 2. Now, he will attempt to keep generating some chances. Pastrnak has three goals and three assists. However, he did not score in Game 2 and has not converted on the powerplay yet. Jake DeBrusk has four goals and two assists in the playoffs. Like Pastrnak, he did not score in Game 2.

James Van Riemsdyk has one goal and three assists. Similar to Pastrnak and DeBrusk, he could not get on the scoresheet. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy has four assists. Likewise, Coyle now has one goal and three assists. But Coyle has struggled in the faceoff circle, winning just 78 draws and losing 88.

The defense collapsed in Game 2 after playing incredibly well throughout the postseason. Significantly, Marchand now has 26 hits. McAvoy has 37 hits and 23 blocked shots through nine playoff games. Ultimately, both play a big role in helping their goalie. Jeremy Swayman fell to 5-3 with a 1.81 goals-against average and a save percentage of .942. Now, he hopes to bounce back.

The Bruins will cover the spread if they can generate some scoring opportunities. Then, they need to cut down on their penalties after giving the Panthers six power-play chances.

Final Panthers-Bruins Game 3 Prediction & Pick

Here are some facts: both games have shattered the over. After playing low-scoring games throughout the first round, the Bruins have sunk to the Panthers’ level. But it’s surprising to see the Panthers favored here. Consider the fact that the Bruins are at home and will be much more difficult to beat. Not only can they likely snag Game 3, but they may make the Panthers earn it. We see the Bruins finding a way to bounce back and cover the spread.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Panthers-Bruins Game 3 Prediction & Pick: Boston Bruins: +1.5 (-255)

The post Panthers vs. Bruins Game 3 prediction, odds, pick appeared first on ClutchPoints.