@FastMoneyLabs' NHL Best Bets - 10/20

Tonight marks their 4th road game in 6th nights. They’ve been out scored 17-7 on the road trip, losing all 3 games by multiple goal margins. On the season, they’re surrendering 42.5 shots (most in NHL) and 4.0 power play chances per game to opponents (tied 7th most).

The Bruins meanwhile are rolling, winning 3 of their first 4 games despite missing key pieces on their roster, namely superstar Winger Brad Marchand and Defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

The remaining Boston stars have picked up the slack led by David Pastrnak, who‘s recorded 8 points in 4 games (tied for 3rd in the league). 6th year player Jake DeBrusk is also thriving in an increased role stepping in for Marchand in Boston’s top 6.

The Bruins enter tonight ranked 9th in shots per game with 35.25. Isolate teams that have played 4+ games, and they rank 3rd. At home, they’re averaging 38.5 per game. This comes after a year where they ranked 4th in shots per game at home with 36.3.

36.5 is a steep number for most clubs in the team shots on goal market, but I’m backing Boston to clear it with confidence tonight.

As a complementary pick, I’m willing to bet Jake DeBrusk stays hot and records 3+ shots again. He’s eclipsed this in 3 of 4 games in an increased role to start the season. The only miss came in a contest where he exited 1st period with an injury. He went on to record 5 shots on 9 attempts in his return two nights later. That performance effectively squashed any lingering injury concerns for me. He followed that with a 4 shot game two nights ago in Canada. Tonight, we only need 3+ in the comfort of his own home in Boston, and it’s a softer matchup.