Bruins Focus: Preview, Odds For Boston’s Game Vs. Flyers

The Bruins finally return to action Wednesday night against the Flyers after a five-day layoff.

Boston took care of the Dallas Stars 3-1 in its home opener Saturday night at TD Garden, while Philadelphia is gearing up to play its third game of the season and trying to make it two straight wins after handily beating the Seattle Kraken 6-1 on Monday night.

The Bruins looked strong between Brad Marchand potting two goals, Charlie Coyle naturally fitting on the second line and Jake DeBrusk finding his groove. It’s just one game, but there is much to be confident about as they head into a new week, beginning with Philadelphia.

Here’s a look at Boston’s week ahead:

Wednesday, Oct. 20 at Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 22 at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 24 vs. San Jose Sharks, 1 p.m. ET

Now, let’s examine Wednesday’s Bruins-Flyers matchup.

What Bruins fans need to know
Both teams look to make it two straight victories and have momentum swinging in their favor. Philadelphia is the 1.5-goal underdog, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, but the Flyers beat Boston in two preseason games this year. Jeremy Swayman started both of those games in net for the Bruins, making a combined 50 saves. It’s unclear if the rookie will get his second straight start after a 27-save performance in the home opener against Dallas, but if he does, he’ll certainly be familiar with the Flyers.

Who Bruins need to look out for
The Flyers had 11 (!) players tally points in Monday’s win over Seattle, but no one was hotter than Derick Brassard with a three-point night. DraftKings has Brassard at +425 to score Wednesday night, but Sean Couturier (+205), Travis Konecny (+215) and the team leader in points, Joel Farabee (+225), also should be on the B’s radar. For what it’s worth, the trio combined for two goals and five points against Seattle.

Odds
DraftKings Sportsbook has the Bruins’ moneyline set at -120 and that’s a bet worth making. The Bruins will give the Flyers more competition than the NHL’s new expansion team did. And with the Bruins being a strong club in their own right, Philly could be looking at a loss.

You might feel better betting on David Pastrnak (+115), Marchand (+165) or Patrice Bergeron (+190) to score at any point during the game, considering DraftKings has the top line as the top three players to score against the Flyers. DeBrusk is +330, which also might be a safe bet considering the winger scored in the home opener and is poised for a breakout season.