Boston Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators Betting Picks, Predictions March 13th

The second week back at Deadspin panned out much nicer than the first. However, there are still a few more loose ends to tie up in trying to secure winning hockey and basketball seasons before it’s on to baseball.

Tonight’s over/under could arguably be considered the main event in all of professional sports — well, at least if you’re a Boston Bruins fan.

That’s because it will involve a showdown between former teammates who happen to share the distinction of being one of the NHL’s top goalie duos in recent history. They also created one of the best signature tandem celebrations, too.

Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark made magic while they were goaltenders “1A” and “1B” in Boston — even helping the organization set a league record for most points by one team in a single season — and this final matchup of the campaign between the Bruins and Senators will see them meet for a second time.

The first meeting that saw the pair of netminders lock horns occurred back on Nov. 9, a 3-2 road victory for Ottawa that also produced a triumph for those who bet the under. The other two matchups featuring these old Northeast Division rivals only had either one or neither of Swayman and Ullmark.

This rematch between the two will be their most important head-to-head tilt to date given each club’s current positioning in the postseason picture. The Senators are in the first wild-card playoff spot right now by a handful of points, while the Bruins sit two points out of the second and final slot — but with three other Eastern Conference teams ahead of them.

Boston also just underwent a significant fire sale that saw them lose longtime franchise stalwart Brad Marchand — the last person left from their 2011 Stanley Cup championship team, by the way — in addition to Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle and others.

Even despite these impactful subtractions, the Bruins have played inspired as of late, notching consecutive wins against the Lightning and Panthers (against forever friend Marchand in that one) since the trade deadline. Swayman started those games and was terrific in both, but it’s his recent candid words that can lead one to believe his best stretch of the season is still to come.

Swayman told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan after his shutout versus Tampa: “We’re going to miss those guys so much. They led the groundwork, Emily, and it’s never going to be the same without them, but it has to be up to us that have been there with them to continue their legacy and understand that next-man-up mentality and make them proud.”

With a mindset like that, Swayman is a good bet to continue his recent strong play despite maybe not matching the usual lofty expectations he’s set for himself since arriving in the NHL four years ago. I would trust him to consistently perform closer to his standard through the season’s final few weeks.

Ullmark, meanwhile, is continuing his effective work in his inaugural campaign as a Senator. He might not be inching toward another Vezina Trophy like he did two years ago, but he is still having another solid season in line with what he produced during his entire tenure as a Bruin. He probably won’t disappoint either opposite one of his best friends.

Additionally, Boston shed nearly half of its top seven goal scorers, and considering that they’re already second from the bottom in the East in goals per game (2.71), that can’t bode well for the offense in the short term. We’ll just be focused on the offense continuing its slog in Ottawa.

I am opting to tack on a half-goal to the total of 5.5 for what is a reasonable value.

Pick: Under 6 (-155, BetMGM)

NHL betting record: 34-27-3, +0.8 unit
Over/Unders: 20-21-3
Goalie props: 14-6

Each bet graded as if it were to win one unit unless otherwise stated.

Follow me @MattZylbert on Twitter/X for potential additional picks.