A possible Stanley Cup preview could be playing out at TD Garden tonight as the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Boston Bruins.
The Golden Knights have the best record in the Western Conference at 18-7-1 and are coming off a 4-1 victory over the Red Wings. Meanwhile, the Bruins have the second-best record in the East and are on a three-game winning streak.
Do the Bruins keep rolling or will the Golden Knights snag their second consecutive game on the road? Continue reading for free NHL picks for Golden Knights vs. Bruins on December 5.
Golden Knights vs Bruins best odds
Golden Knights vs Bruins picks and predictions
Before defeating the lowly Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights had a stretch where they went 4-5-1. They so far are 2-1 on this road trip, which concludes on Monday against the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins are the best team at home, winning all 14 of their games at TD Garden, an NHL record to open a season. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are an excellent 11-3 away from home.
But Vegas might find TD Garden a difficult place to play. Not only is Boston undefeated at home, but it's also winning convincingly. In those 14 victories, 11 have been by two or more goals.
The Bruins average four goals per game, leading the NHL. They are second in power-play conversion at 29.5% and have 26 PP goals, good for third.
Vegas could be without top scorer Jack Eichel, who left in the third period of Saturday’s game against Detroit with an apparent lower-body injury. His status for Monday is unknown.
The Golden Knights are already missing defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who has been out for three games because of personal reasons.
Fortunately, Vegas has plenty of offense that can try and fill the gap, with six other players who have 15 or more points.
But while Vegas is 10th in goals, averaging 3.42 a game, it is facing the top defense in the NHL. Bruins goaltenders have a 2.13 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.
I predict the Bruins will not only win their 15th consecutive home game but do so by two or more goals.
My best bet: Bruins -1.5 (+150 at bet365)
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Golden Knights vs Bruins moneyline analysis
If you are backing the Bruins over the Golden Knights, which I think you should, the odds you are getting on the moneyline are not great. They opened at -176 at FanDuel and got as high as -196 before settling at -182.
Fortunately, BetMGM has them at -160 as of Monday morning, the best odds I could find at the time of this writing.
When you have the No. 1 offense and defense, oddsmakers are going to favor you, even when the best team in the Western Conference comes to town.
The Bruins have yet to lose to a West team and have outscored them 37-14 in nine games.
The Golden Knights have an equally impressive record against the East. They are 10-1 in their last 11 and 20-7 in their last 27 games against the Atlantic Division.
Boston goalie Linus Ullmark is having a career year so far at 14-1 with a 1.93 GAA and a .936 SV%.
The favorite is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between the two teams and I believe the favorite will win again.
Golden Knights vs Bruins Over/Under analysis
With all that offense produced by both teams, you would think the Over would be the play.
Not so fast there, Skippy.
We already talked about Boston’s defense, which is No. 1 in the NHL in GAA and SV%. The Golden Knight’s defense is pretty stout as well, ranking sixth in both GAA and save percentage at 2.62 and .917, respectively.
Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson has slipped from his Top-10 standing from a few weeks ago, but he is still 12th in GAA at 2.54 and ninth in SV% at .920.
The Bruins are 12th in penalty minutes at 267 while the Golden Knights are the lowest-penalized team in the league at 162. That is good because Boston’s power play is devastating. The Bruins are second in the league in power-play success, converting 29.5% of the time.
Boston has the second-best penalty kill at 84.1%. Vegas is 24th at 74.6%. Yet another good reason for the Golden Knights to stay out of the sin bin.
The Under is 5-1 in the Golden Knights' last six games and 4-0 when playing on a day’s rest.
The Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between the two teams, and 4-0 in the last four in Boston.
Golden Knights vs Bruins betting trend to know
The Golden Knights are 1-6 against the Bruins in their last seven meetings. Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs Bruins.
Golden Knights vs Bruins game info
| Location: | TD Garden, Boston, MA |
| Date: | Monday, December 5, 2022 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NESN, SportsNet Rocky Mountain |
