Skip to main content

Bruins vs. Panthers Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tuesday's NHL Game

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: October 7, 2024 4:32 PM EDT • 2 min 55 sec read.

Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues celebrates scoring against Edmonton Oilers as we offer our Bruins vs. Panthers prediction.
Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues celebrates scoring a goal. Photo by Sam Navarro via Imagn Images

Like a gruesome, decrepit old witch mixing her weekly sorcerous brew, the NHL absolutely loves stirring the pot.

Why else would it make the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers battle on North American opening night after bludgeoning each other in last season's playoffs?

If it's an attempt to boost ratings or simply a way for Gary Bettman to get his kicks, I'm all for it (the former, not the latter). While the Panthers vanquished the Bruins in six games, Boston had its way with Florida in last year's regular season, winning all four contests. 

Three of those four games saw five goals or fewer. 

However, with a clean slate in mind, our Bruins vs. Panthers prediction leans toward the Over while backing the Panthers, who are second in the Stanley Cup odds, to win on home ice.

Plus, we have a tasty player prop you'll want to dive into, like Brad Marchand after being tapped on the heels with a feather.  

Bruins vs. Panthers prediction

Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

My best bet: Over 5.5 goals ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: | Implied probability: 54.55%

Uttering the word Over when discussing a Bruins-Panthers game feels taboo, like saying Matthew Tkachuk will go through an entire contest without pissing someone off. 

But here I am, not only saying it but wagering on it, too. 

Jeremy Swayman, the under-two-goal man, has signed an eight-year, $66 million deal. Hooray for the Bruins! The angst and tension is over in Beantown. While Bruins' fans jump for joy, and so they should, they'll be without their star netminder in the season opener. 

That means the crease is all Joonas Korpisalo's.

The former Ottawa Senators' goaltender (speaking of jumping for joy) had a subpar .890 save percentage and a bee-sting-swollen 3.27 goals against average last season. While he did play for one of the league's worst defenses (tied for the fifth-most goals against per game), Korpisalo didn't exactly stand on his head. 

Did the chicken come before the egg, or vice versa?

The same argument goes for Korpisalo and the Senators. We'll soon find out which came first when former Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark tries to rescue the Sens. 

Korpisalo cowers against the Panthers 

"Enough Senator bashing already," bellows the readers.

Point taken. 

I'll keep my finger pointing aimed directly at Korpisalo, who, while still with the Sens, allowed 14 goals on 115 shots against the Panthers last season. That's a .878 save percentage, even below his season average. 

Oh, and the Panthers chased him from the crease after scoring four goals on 17 shots. That April 17 performance was his worst in a four-loss Panthers sample size.

A $10 winning bet will profit $8.33.

Up To $250 First Bet Reset

Terms and conditions apply.

Each product featured on our website has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission. 21+. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly

Bruins vs. Panthers player prop bet

Evan Rodrigues prop bet: Over 2.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +135 via Betway | Implied probability: 42.55%

Due to the high percentage of low-scoring games between the Bruins and Panthers, few players consistently put up gaudy numbers. Evan Rodrigues has played some of his best hockey against the Bruins, and he hit the Over on this prop in two of four head-to-head encounters last season.

The speedy left winger offers the best value for this particular encounter.

It's also likely that he'll be playing on a line with Tkachuk and Sam Bennett, which sounds mighty fine to me. 

Rodrigues averaged three shots per game last season against Boston, and his plus-money odds are too appealing to resist. A winning $10 bet will profit $13.50. 

Bruins vs. Panthers live odds & info

  • When: Tuesday, Oct. 8
  • Puck drop: 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Amerant Bank Arena (Sunrise, Fla.)
  • How to watch: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Favorite: Panthers (-150 via bet365)

Bruins-Panthers predictions made Monday at 3 p.m. ET.

Here are our best NHL betting sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission.

Related pages

Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.