Canucks vs Bruins | Game 3 Prediction & Pick

NHL Stanley Cup Finals-Game 3 Betting Preview

vs.

Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins

Spread: Boston Bruins -1.5
Money Line: Vancouver +105, Boston -115
Run Total: Over/Under: 5

The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals continue tonight with Game 3 of the best-of-seven series between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins with Vancouver holding a 2-0 lead. Game time is set for 8 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on Versus.

Click Here for more Free Expert NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Picks

Vancouver has the lead in this series by the slimmest of margins after a 1-0 victory in Game 1 as a 188 home favorite and a 3-2 overtime win as a 185 favorite this past Saturday. The Canucks are now 14-6 overall this postseason; 13-4 as the favorite and 1-2 as an underdog. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of its eight games on the road and is 8-9-3 overall.

Both of Vancouver’s wins in this series have been dramatic with Raffi Torres scoring the game winner with just 19 seconds left in regulation to notch Game 1 and Alexandre Burrows slamming one home just 11 seconds into overtime to seal Game 2. The high-scoring trio of Ryan Kesler and Daniel and Henrik Sedin has been held to one goal and two assists while Burrows has two goals and an assist on his own.

The real story for the Canucks so far has been the play of goalie Roberto Luongo. He came into this series with a 2.29 goals-against-average and a .922 save percentage. He stopped all 36 shots he faced in a Game 1 shutout and turned away 28 of the 30 he faced on Saturday night. Vancouver has also been strong on the power play, killing off eight of the Bruins nine opportunities.

Boston was a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs when leading after two periods, but that streak came to an end in Saturday’s overtime loss. It is now 12-8 overall; 3-4 as an underdog and 9-4 as a favorite. The total has been evenly split at 5-5 in its 10 home games and is 10-9-1 overall.

If the Bruins are going to get back into this series, guys like David Krejci and Nathan Horton are going to have to find a way to get the puck past Luongo. These two combined for 18 goals in the three previous series but have been shutout so far in this one. Boston was averaging 3.22 goals per game coming into Finals but has been held to just two goals combined in the first two games.

Tim Thomas has done his part in goal to keep the Bruins in both games with 63 saves on 67 shots, but got caught a bit too far out of the net on Burrows overtime game-winner. He has started and finished all of Boston’s 20 postseason games and has a GGA of 2.27 and a .930 save percentage. The Bruins have also done a good job killing penalties by shutting down one of the most explosive power play teams in the league.

The odds makers have the Boston Bruins as a -1.5 point favorite with an over/under of 5.

Check out the latest NHL Hockey Odds here.

Prediction: Shutdown defense has been prevailing theme of the first two games of this series and tonight should be no different. With both goalies playing at a high level, stick with Boston to find a way to grind out a win at home in a game that once again stays ‘under’ the total.

Need more help making your hockey picks winners? Check out our top  handicappers.

Vancouver Canucks Betting Trends:

• Vancouver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Vancouver’s last 7 games on the road
• Vancouver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver’s last 6 games when playing Boston

Boston Bruins Betting Trends:

• Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
• Boston is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston’s last 7 games at home
• Boston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home