Trent Reinsmith
- What: Edmonton Oilers vs. Boston Bruins
- Date: Thursday, March 9, 2023
- Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN+, hulu, SN, TVAS
Tonight, the hottest team in the NHL puts its 10-game winning streak on the line at home when the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins welcome the Edmonton Oilers to TD Garden. The Bruins lead the NHL with 103 points on the season and are the only team that has lost fewer than 12 regulation games 62 games into the NHL season. Boston has a 49-8-5 record, which puts them 11 points above the second-best team in the league, the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Oilers might not compare to the Bruins in points, they have 78 thanks to a 35-22-8 record, but the Oilers are in the hunt for a spot in the 2023 NHL playoffs and the team does feature the duo who sit at the top of the NHL scoring race, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid has 124 points on the year, while Draisaitl has 96. McDavid also leads the league in goals (54) and assists (70). Edmonton is 5-3-2 in their past 10 games.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for tonight’s NHL matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Boston Bruins picks – March 9, 2023
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
| Edmonton Oilers | +159 | +155 | +155 | +165 |
| Boston Bruins | -176 | -180 | -175 | -185 |
Edmonton Oilers breakdown
The Edmonton Oilers were trending in the right direction before the All-Star break. Between January 11 and January 28, Edmonton went 7-0-1. Since the break, the Oilers have yet to win more than two games in a row and they sport an overall record of 7-8. The team is coming off a 3-2 road win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Edmonton is a 19-10-3 road team for the 2023 NHL season.
The duo of Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are once again leading the Oilers — and the NHL — in offense. No NHL team has more goals than the Oilers at 251. The downside of the team is that they are in the top half of the league in goals allowed with 218, giving them a goal differential of plus 33 for the year. The good news for Edmonton is that GM Ken Holland made some moves before the trade deadline to help the team become better on defense.
Edmonton’s goaltending duo has been capable, if not outstanding, this year with Stuart Skinner having a goals against average of 2.86 and a save percentage of .913. His partner, Jack Campbell, has a 3.57 GAA and SV% of .892. Campbell is winless in his past five outings and gave up six goals on 38 shots in the team’s 7-5 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Skinner made 37 saves in the Oilers’ 3-2 win over Buffalo on Monday.
Boston Bruins breakdown
The Boston Bruins went through the first slump of their 2023 NHL season in late January and early February when they went into the All-Star break with a 1-3 record. The team lost its first game back from the break, dropping a contest to the Washington Capitals at home by the score of 2-1. Since that setback, the Bruins are a perfect 10-0 and heading into their matchup with the Oilers with home wins over the Sabres (7-1) and the New York Rangers (4-2). The Bruins have an incredible 26-2-3 record at home this season
David Pastrnak has been a bright spot for the Bruins’ offense this year. The right wing leads the team in points (84), goals (44) and assists (40). However, there is a big drop off in scoring after that. The team’s second-highest scorer is Brad Marchand with 54 points.
As for defense, goaltender Linus Ullmark leads the NHL in goals against average (1.89), save percentage (.938) and wins (32). Ullmark has not lost a game since before the All-Star break when the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Bruins 4-1 in Carolina.
Best bet for Edmonton Oilers vs. Boston Bruins
The Oilers might have the best one-two scoring punch in the NHL, but as their record indicates, that’s no guarantee they will win. The Bruins have been unstoppable in their last 10 games and when they play at home this season. The pick in tonight’s games is for the Bruins to beat the Oilers.
Pick: Boston Bruins to beat the Edmonton Oilers.
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