The Tampa Bay Lightning will battle the Boston Bruins on Saturday at the TD Garden. It will be an Eastern Conference clash as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Lightning-Bruins prediction and pick. The Bruins lead the head-to-head series 74-38. Yet, the teams have split the past 10 games. But the Bruins have won two of three games this season, winning 6-2 at the TD Garden on January 14, 2025, and shutting the Bolts out 4-0 last weekend at Amalie Arena. Here are the Lightning-Bruins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. NHL Odds: Lightning-Bruins Odds Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+148) Moneyline: -170 Boston Bruins: +1.5 (-184) Moneyline: +140 Over: 5.5 (-110) Under: 5.5 (-110) How To Watch Lightning vs Bruins Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT TV: ESPN+, NESN and FanDuel Sports Sun *Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)* Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win The Lightning have one win over the Bruins this season, beating them 4-1 on January 9, 2025. They battled hard for that victory, but it took a while. There was no score in the second period of that contest when Anthony Cirelli showcased his skills by escaping for a shorthanded goal to put the Lightning on the board. Later, Michael Eyssimont scored to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead. After allowing the Bruins to cut the deficit, the Lightning finished it off with empty-net goals from Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point. The Bolts can beat the Bruins. Yet, they could be without Nikita Kicherov, who did not play on Thursday. Significantly, he is incredibly important to the Lightning, as he has one goal and three assists over three games against the Bruins this season. Hagel has one goal and one assist over three games, while Point has one goal and one assist over three games. However, Victor Hedman has one goal and one assist but has also been negative, as he has a plus/minus of -2. Andrei Vasilevskiy must do more to beat the Bruins. Alarmingly, he has struggled in two games against the Bruins this season. The Bolts need him locked in and ready to go, especially if they are forced to kill off a penalty. The most dangerous player that the Lightning must account for on defense is David Pastrnak. His ability to skate all over the ice and get to the little spots is second to none. Therefore, they must more to account for him and force the Bruins to turn to someone else. The Lightning will cover the spread if they can get off to a good start and build a lead while generating numerous scoring chances. Then, they must avoid taking penalties and prevent Pastrnak from doing damage. Why the Bruins Could Cover the Spread/Win The Bruins made some moves at the trade deadline, hoping to shed some old contracts and fully rebuild. Shockingly, the Bruins traded long-time fan favorite Brad Marchand to the divisional rival Panthers. This sent shockwaves throughout the organization and indicated that the Bruins were finally rebuilding. The results have been mixed in the two games they have played since, with the Bruins winning one and losing one. Pastrnak, as previously noted, is still the most dangerous player on the ice for the Bruins. Amazingly, he scored a goal and two assists in the 6-2 win over the Bolts. If there is one thing he (and everyone else) on the roster would hope to improve, it’s the powerplay. The Bruins are 0 for 3 on the powerplay this season against the Lightning. Thus, they must figure that out. Defenseman Mason Lohrei has had a solid season and even scored a goal in the first game with the Lightning. Meanwhile, Pavel Zacha had a shorthanded goal and two assists in the last game at the TD Garden. But the Bruins need more from Morgan Geekie. The defense must also tighten up. Somehow, they have allowed more than 40 shots twice to the Lightning this season. Jeremy Swayman has not been great this season. Yet, he has been spectacular against the Lightning this season, including 41 saves in the 4-1 loss, 43 saves in the 6-2 win, and stopping every shot in the shutout. Swayman is 2-1 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a save percentage of .911. The Bruins will cover the spread if they can get Pastrnak loose, and he can get some shots on the net. Then, the defense cannot make any lapses and protect the crease. Final Lightning-Bruins Prediction & Pick The Lightning are 34-30 against the spread, while the Bruins are 31-35 against the spread. Moreover, the Bolts are 16-15 against the spread on the road, while the Bruins are 18-17 against the spread at home. The Lightning are 27-33-4 against the over/under, while the Bruins are 31-34-1 against the over/under. The Lightning have struggled against the Bruins this season. Yet, they are the better team and are actively in a playoff push. Therefore, I can see them covering the spread. Final Lightning-Bruins Prediction & Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+148)