NHL Bruins vs Lightning Picks and Odds | March 8, 2025

Written by: Nick Zanghi

Published: Fri Mar 07, 2025, 11:30 pm ET

Read Time: 5 minutes

nhl

FINAL

Boston Bruins

Tampa Bay Lightning

See Picks & Statistics For The Game

An Atlantic Division battle today and it should live up to the hype per usual. The Boston Bruins head south to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. They played back in January and the Bruins won 6-2.

Boston is 28-28-3 this season and 7th in the Atlantic. The team is on a 3-game losing streak and is 2-6-2 in their last 10 games. They are not very good on the road with a 10-17-3 record and are 9-6-3 in divisional games. Today, they may have made a problem for themselves.

Surprisingly, the team traded away team captain and longtime Bruin Brad Marchand. The Bruins received a 2027 Conditional 2nd round pick…Jersey Mike's gift cards would be better than this crap. On top of Marchand, they traded away Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau and Max Jones.

The Bruins are struggling this season and not in a familiar spot in the standings. Their offense is at the bottom of the league for goals scored and shots on goal per game. Boston's power play is 4th worst in the league and with Marchand gone, things are only going to get worse as he produced 47 points.

Their defense is also not very good, ranking 22nd in goals allowed and 16th in shots on goal per game. Boston's penalty kill also doesn't break the top 10 either. Goalie Jeremy Swayman is expected to start in net. He is 18-21-6 this season with a 3.00 GAA and a .896 save percentage. Swayman just signed a new deal and has to be thinking twice now that it looks like they've enter a rebuild.

Lightning look to continue their winning streak to 3-games

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point moves into the offensive zone with the puck.

The Lightning are 37-21-4 this season and 3rd in the Atlantic Division. They've won their last 2 games and are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games. They're heating up and playing at home is a perfect spot to keep it in with a 23-7-2 record this season.

Tampa's offense is a powerhouse as we know. They're 1st in the league for goals scored and 12th in the league for shots on goal per game. Even though they don't shoot the most, they shoot accurately with a 12.4% shooting percentage. The power play is another place this team thrives with the 6th best conversion rate in the league.

On defense, they more than hold their own. They rank 5th best for goals allowed and 18th in shots on goal allowed per game. The Lightning commit around 4 penalties per game but kill off 81% of the time – 11th best in the league.

In net, we should see Andrei Vasilevskiy. He is 30-16-3 this season with a 2.24 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Vasi is started to give Vezina vibes, so we'll see how the rest of the season plays out. Let's check out the odds and get into the picks.

Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Odds and Game Information

Bruins vs Lightning Betting Odds

Puck Line

Boston Bruins +1.5 (-112)
Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Boston Bruins +225
Tampa Bay Lightning -280

Totals

Over 5.5 (-128)
Under 5.5 (+104)

Odds courtesy of BetOnline – Get 50% up to $1000 on your first deposit

Bruins vs Lightning Game Information

Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa Bay, FL
Date: Saturday March 8, 2025
Puck Drop: 3pm EST
TV: ABC

Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction and Picks

Lightning forward Brandon Hagel high fives his teammates on the bench after scoring.

Bruins vs Lightning Picks and Predictions: Game Total Under 5.5 Goals (+104) Get 50% up to $1000 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

These are 2 teams that are very familiar with each other, but I don't think we see a lot of goals. The Bruins just unloaded half their team and has to be a little lost. I don't think anyone on this team expected a rebuild to take place almost right away.

The Lightning just put up 6 goals in their last game, so I could see them coming back down to life. Swayman has under a 3.00 GAA vs Tampa in 6 career games, which is where I see the Lightning finishing. This offense could score 4 or 5, but I don't think they break the over.

David Pastrnak has to be so confused right now. And even with what's going on, he is now the focal point of this team and possible next captain. I don't think we see typical Pasta tomorrow which will bring the scoring chances down for Boston.

I like for most of Tampa's big guys to get their shots. Kucherov should record 4 or more shots on goal, and I like Guentzel to record 3 or more shots on goal. In a little bit of a spicy move, I like Vasi to get under his saves line with this depleted Boston offense. I do lean for the Lightning to win this game as well.