With last night’s sportsbook upset win over the Minnesota Wild, the Chicago Blackhawks have come one step closer to usurping their storied rivals atop the Central Division. Luckily enough for the Ducks, one of the few teams competing this NHL hockey betting Wednesday night, Anaheim’s playoff aspirations won’t be jeopardized by the Blackhawks recent success. Nevertheless, the Mighty Ducks will still take to the ice later this evening in hopes of securing their ticket to the postseason for the 5th straight year.
Late Wednesday night, the Anaheim Ducks will be playing host to the Boston Bruins at the Honda Center. The Bruins struggled tremendously throughout both January and February but recently they’ve hit a win streak that has heads turning across the nation. Looking over the NHL standings, the Ducks currently rank higher than Boston, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the bookies come out in favor of Anaheim. Let’s take a look at what most sportsbooks are predicting for Wednesday’s action.
NHL HOCKEY BETTING ODDS – REGULAR SEASON – Wednesday, February 22nd
Boston Bruins +1 ½ (-310) 5 (-135) -110
Anaheim Ducks -1 ½ (+255) 5 (+115) -110
Surprisingly enough, the bookies have decided to give both teams even NHL hockey betting odds. But it’s not all that shocking, since the Ducks are currently in contention for the playoffs and Boston is barely missing that mark. The Bruins have played in 59 games this season and have been able to post a 30-23-6 record in that time. The Black and Gold’s 66 points ties them with the Florida Panthers for 4th place in the Atlantic, just one-point shy of tying the Toronto Maple Leafs for third in the division.
As we enter into the final stretch of the season, the Bruins will be looking to solidify their spot in the postseason. Most importantly, Boston needs to secure one of the top-three seeds in the Atlantic. With the Senators and Canadiens enjoying a 3- and 2-game lead over the Maple Leafs respectively, the B’s need to focus on replacing Toronto. Especially since the Rangers, who compete in the Metropolitan alongside the Islanders, have 78 points while New York has 66. Since neither of those two teams has cracked the top-three in the Metropolitan, it seems more than plausible that the two Wild Card seeds from the Eastern Conference will fall to teams from the Metropolitan Division. Bottom line, if the Bruins are unable to sneak their way into the top-three in the Atlantic, the hockey playoff odds will likely not even have to consider the Bears.
On the other hand, the Ducks, who have competed in 61 games this season, enter this contest with a 31-20-10 record that yields the club 72 points. That tally is enough to rank Anaheim third in the Pacific Division, and it also give them an 8-point lead over their nearest competitor, the Calgary Flames.
While it’s true that the Ducks are currently in a better standing than the Bruins, Boston might have more sportsbook momentum coming into this game. As aforementioned, the B’s ride into this game on a 4-game win streak. In comparison, the Ducks have posted a 3-2 record in their last 5 games.
