While the NHL hockey betting community may have mixed feelings about a homosexual athlete, Boston Bruins’ left wing Brad Marchand didn’t mince word when talking about how he viewed the LGBT struggle when speaking to ESPN’s Joe McDonald. Here’s what the Bruins star had to say.
“I want to stand up for what I believe in, and I don’t think it’s right when people say things or bash people because of their sexual orientation,” Marchand stated. “…Everyone is allowed to find love whatever way that is, so I felt like that was a time to say something, especially nowadays.”
“We’re in 2017, and things are a lot different than they were 100 years ago. We’re all evolving to be equal, and that’s the way things should be.”
ESPN was prompted to interview Marchand regarding his stance on the LGBT community due to a twitter exchange the 28-year old winger had with fan who attacked Marchand and called him a homophobic slur. The Bruins’ star responded by saying “this derogatory statement is offensive to so many people around the world, [you’re] the kind of kid parents are ashamed of.” Not only did Marchand’s response make him a champion for the LGBT community, but it also motivated the user to delete his account – proving to NHL hockey betting fans that Marchand is not someone to be trifled with.
Marchand and the Bruins will once again take to the ice Wednesday night to face off against the Detroit Red Wings. Boston will be coming into this bout with a 23-19-5 record which nets them 51 points and placed them 2nd in the Atlantic, 9 points behind their storied rivals the Montreal Canadiens. The Red Wings haven’t been that impressive this year and will come into this game with a 19-19-6 record which yields them 44 points and ranks them penultimate in the Atlantic. Detroit desperately needs a turnaround, but will they be able to get it against the Bruins? Let’s see what the hockey betting odds have to say about this matchup.
HOCKEY BETTING ODDS – REGULAR SEASON – Wednesday, January 18th
Boston Bruins -1½ (+220) 5½ (+135) -135
Detroit Red Wings +1½ (-260) 5½ (-155) +115
Understandably, the Bruins are coming into this contest as the NHL hockey betting favorites. However, the odds aren’t siding with them as heavily as one would expect. This might have something to do with Boston’s recent spill with bad luck. So far this January, Boston has only won three contests and has lost 5 – not the start they were looking for in 2017. Furthermore, the Bruins desperately need a pick-me-up after falling 4-0 to the New York Islanders. Boston’s fast start to the season has helped them stay atop the division during this trying time but if the Bruins can’t start winning contests they will surely begin to sink in the Atlantic.
The Red Wings are the proud owners of the longest playoff-appearance streak in North America. However, Detroit is dangerously close to snapping that streak and the hockey betting odds reflect that.
