Florida Panthers vs Boston Bruins Game 6 Prediction, Odds & Picks

May 14, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save against Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) during the third period in game five of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY SportsWe’ve made our Panthers vs Bruins prediction for Friday’s Game 6Oddsmakers favor the Cats to eliminate the Bruins at TD GardenRead below for Panthers vs Bruins Game 6 prediction, odds and picks

The Boston Bruins find themselves in another must-win scenario tonight against the Florida Panthers. Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Friday, May 17 at 7:00 PM ET. The game will be televised nationally on TNT from TD Garden in Boston.

The Panthers currently lead the series 3-2 and can advance to the Conference Finals with a win, while the Bruins are fighting to keep their season alive and force a Game 7 back in Florida. The Panthers are favored on the road at -155 moneyline odds.

Here’s our prediction for tonight’s Bruins vs Panthers Game 6, along with odds analysis and expert picks.

Florida Panthers vs Boston Bruins Odds – Game 6

The Florida Panthers are -155 road favorites in the Friday NHL playoff odds, meaning Paul Maurice’s team has a 60.8% implied probability of advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.

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Odds as of May. 18, 2024 at Bet365 Sportsbook. Check out the bet365 bonus for new users to wager on Panthers vs Bruins Game 6.

Have Bruins Stolen the Momentum?

The Bruins staved off elimination with a gritty 2-1 victory in Game 5 in Florida. Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Morgan Geekie and Charlie McAvoy. The Panthers made a late push with a Sam Reinhart goal in the third, but Jeremy Swayman shut the door with 28 saves to preserve the crucial win.

While Boston played their best game of the series, Florida has controlled play for much of the series. The Panthers rank 1st among remaining playoff teams in expected goals percentage (60.8%) and shot attempt percentage (59.4%) at 5-on-5. They are generating a ton of high-danger chances with their speed and forecheck.

Not backing down.#TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/Qv0jGMG8xS

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 17, 2024

Florida had dominated the previous three games, outscoring Boston 14-5 in that span to take a 3-1 series lead. Stars like Aleksander Barkov (five goals, four assists in series), Sam Reinhart (five goals, four assists), and Matthew Tkachuk (two goals, five assists) led the Panthers’ high-powered offense.

Boston’s defensive structure and goaltending have kept them in it, but they’ll need to find a way to spend more time in the offensive zone. According to Natural Stat Trick, expected goals are 17.67-11.38 in favor of the Cats through five games.

Special teams could also be a deciding factor. Florida’s power play is humming at 34.6% in the series (9 for 26). The Bruins have taken the third-most penalties of any team in the second round. Boston’s power play is just 1-for-14 in the series and desperately needs to convert tonight.

Brad Marchand Injury Update

A major storyline heading into Game 6 is the potential return of Bruins captain Brad Marchand. The star winger has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury suffered on a hit by Sam Bennett in Game 3. Marchand practiced fully on Thursday and is considered a game-time decision for the elimination game.

🎥 Coach Montgomery on Brad Marchand's status for Game 6 between the #NHLBruins and Panthers tonight at TD Garden: "He's going through his final steps. He'll be a game-time decision." pic.twitter.com/6imwnRWzRt

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 17, 2024

Having Marchand back would provide a huge boost for the Bruins. He is their emotional leader and has 10 points in 10 playoff games, including a team-high six points on the power play. As mentioned previously, Boston’s power play is really struggling in the series. If Marchand’s able to suit up, it could really boost Boston’s power play.

“He’s our leader, he’s our captain, he’s our heart and soul,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of Marchand. “How can you put a number on that?”

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Betting Trends to Note

In terms of betting trends, the road team has won four of the five games so far, with Florida taking Games 3 and 4 in Boston. The Panthers are 5-1 in their last six road games dating back to the 1st round.

The Panthers are also a great bet at TD Garden, as they’ve won five straight playoff games against the B’s in Beantown dating back to last year’s postseason.

The Under is 4-1 in the series, with four of the five games finishing with five goals or less, including both games in Boston. We’ve factored this trend of low-scoring games into our Game 6 Bruins vs Panthers prediction.

Panthers vs Bruins Game 6 Prediction

For Game 6, I’m leaning towards the Under 5.5 goals at -130 odds. With their season on the line, I expect the Bruins to tighten things up defensively in front of their home crowd.

Swayman has been dialed in and both teams know the importance of staying disciplined and not giving each other power play opportunities. Marchand’s potential return could give Boston an emotional lift, but he may not be 100% if he plays which could affect his impact offensively.

The Panthers would love to end the series now and avoid a nervy Game 7 at home. But they know the Bruins will bring their best effort in an elimination spot. I could see Florida playing a safer, tighter-checking game on the road and being content to counter-attack when opportunities present themselves rather than forcing the issue.

The Panthers have been the better team overall, but this feels like it could be a low-event game that comes down to a couple of bounces either way.

Instead of playing a side, I’ll go with the Under 5.5 as my best bet for Game 6. I think we see a tight-checking affair with both teams focused on limiting mistakes. The goalies have been excellent in the series and I expect that to continue.

FLA-BOS Pick:

Under 5.5 (-130)

 

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