NHL Betting
Oddsmakers Set Bruins’ Pastrnak at 49.5; Who Will Score 20+?
It seems a given that Boston Bruins star winger David Pastrnak will quickly crest 20 goals this season. Brad Marchand should hurdle the bar pretty easily, too. But what about the rest of the Bruins on the futures betting market?
Oddsmakers have set the Pastrnak goal total at 49.5 and aren’t giving great odds either way, offering -114 on each side of the line. For that kind of juice, we say it’s not worth the squeeze. Instead of betting on Pastrnak’s goal total, perhaps it’s better to check out the Rocket Richard Trophy odds, and Pastrnak is a +550 favorite to unseat favorite Auston Matthews.
Hmmm.
However, the best NHL betting sites do have far more interesting odds on players such as Marchand to hit 30 goals. Marchand, 36, who has popped 32, 21, and 29 goals over the last three seasons, respectively, is a +190 to get back to 30 goals.
Sure, his age is a bit of concern when betting 30 goals, but the addition of Elias Lindholm, as well as other lineup additions and the emergence of Trent Frederic, should provide more Bruins puck possession, which in turn leads to more shots and a few more goals.
We like that bet because it offers almost 2-1 odds. If nothing else, it will be fun to follow.
Digging a little deeper into the lineup, will Lindholm and second-line center Charlie Coyle get to 20 goals? On the surface, those might seem like no-brainer bets that you’d take eight days a week but never get too cocky when the boys in Vegas toss-up warning signals.
In an expanded role last season, Coyle put up career numbers. The East Weymouth native potted 25 goals and 60 points in 82 games. Coyle specifically helped the Bruins stave off a precipitous freefall from losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, who both retired.
Coyle is -125 to hit 20 goals again, and we like that bet, though we’d like to get a little more juice on the numbers.
Oh, what to do with the mercurial Swede. The former fifth overall pick (2013) is in the prime of his career, but after the Calgary Flames lost Johnny Gaudreau via free agency and traded Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, Lindholm went in the tank.
And set up a residence there.
Two years ago, Lindholm finished with 42 goals and 82 points in 82 games. Over the last two seasons, he has scored just 37 goals combined and was a mid-season trade from Calgary to the Vancouver Canucks. However, Lindholm was a worse fit for the Canucks than he was with the stumbling Flames and scored six goals and 12 points in 26 games.
Lindholm lost his lineup spot in Vancouver as coach Rick Tocchet tried in vain to get the best out of him. It wasn’t much of a question that Lindholm would leave via free agency, and the Bruins got a sweet deal because of it.
Or they got a bad deal for a player in decline.
Lindholm is on the board at +200 to get to 30 goals. Playing on the top line beside Pastrnak should get Lindhold to an easy 20, right?
