Pinnacle    +140    BET365  +140   Sportsinteraction  +140  888port  +140

Posted at 8:00AM ET. Odds are subject to change

Chicago +140 over Boston

TD Garden – Boston, MA

7:30 PM ET. OT included. Boston is always going to draw money at home, especially on opening night at the Garden, where nostalgia and reputation carry the line as much as talent ever will. The Bruins have new life under Marco Sturm, sure, but this price is built entirely on legacy, not logic.

Sturm’s debut went smoothly enough — a 3-1 win over Washington where the Bruins were heavily outshot but bailed out by Jeremy Swayman and a perfect penalty kill. That’s not dominance, that’s survival. Boston was outplayed for long stretches, leaned on goaltending, and took advantage of a Caps team that looked flat from the opening faceoff. Now they’ll be asked to play their home opener less than 24 hours later on the back half of a back-to-back, their second game in two cities to start the year, and the first of four games in six nights. Fatigue doesn’t usually hit this early, but context matters — new coach, new system, new pairings, and no rhythm yet. That’s not ideal when the opposition has speed and youthful legs.

Enter Chicago — a live pooch with more substance than people realize. Jeff Blashill’s young Blackhawks gave the two-time defending Cup champion Panthers all they could handle in their opener, falling 3-2 but playing with pace and bite. Frank Nazar looks ready for prime time, Tyler Bertuzzi brings veteran edge, and Teuvo Teravainen adds creativity the Hawks sorely missed last season. They’re playing fast, aggressive hockey, and they’ll face a Boston side that’s still figuring out its tempo. This price assumes Boston is “back.” We’re not buying that.

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