Bruins vs. Lightning Odds, NHL Player Props & Score Predictions Today: March 8

The dismantled Boston Bruins face the searing-hot Tampa Bay Lightning as we offer our prediction and best player props.

Gary Pearson

Last updated: March 8, 2025 12:21 PM EST • 6 min read

Our Bruins vs. Lightning prediction. — Pictured: Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel celebrates after a goal. Photo by Kim Klement Neitzel via Imagn Images

Fire sale, anyone?

The Boston Bruins will look unrecognizable after clearing house when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena this afternoon (3 p.m. ET, ABC). The team shipped off Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, Trent Frederic, Max Jones, Justin Brazeau, and Marc McLaughlin.

With almost no time to adjust, Boston is in tough against a searing-hot Lightning team, or so our Bruins vs. Lightning prediction expects.

💰 Best Bruins vs. Lightning predictions & NHL player props today: March 8

Here are my best Bruins vs. Lightning predictions and player props for today's NHL matchup with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our NHL picks along with our guide on how to bet on NHL.

Game pick: Lightning -1.5 (-102 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jake Guentzel player prop pick: Anytime goal (+175 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Anthony Cirelli player prop pick: Over 0.5 points (+120 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐
Nikita Kucherov player prop pick: Over 1.5 points (+115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📊 Bruins vs. Lightning pick & odds: Who will win today's NHL matchup?

As of Saturday morning, the Lighting were the -260 favorites at bet365 to beat the +225 Bruins in today's 3 p.m. ET matchup from Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla. However, during the hours leading up to puck drop the line continued to move in Tampa's direction, shifting to about -300.

I'm predicting the Lightning will beat the Bruins 4-1 in a game with five goals or fewer.

🔢 Bruins vs. Lightning odds & betting lines

Here are the latest Bruins vs. Lightning odds and betting lines from our best live betting sites.

🎯 Bruins vs. Lightning score prediction: Lightning 4, Bruins 1

According to our Stanley Cup odds after NHL trade deadline analysis, the Lightning are part of the winners' group. Not only did they acquire Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde, but they're also the NHL's hottest team, winning 10 of the last 11 games.

The Lightning shouldn't take too long to adjust with Bjorkstrand and Gourde in the lineup. Gourde was a member of the Lightning team that won back-to-back Cups, while Bjorkstrand's transition will be helped by Gourde, his teammate in Seattle.

The Lightning, who sit seventh in the Stanley Cup odds, endured an off night defensively on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, conceding five goals for the first time in about seven weeks. I don't expect them to let their foot off the gas again, especially against a vulnerable Bruins team that lost their captain, among other members of the leadership group.

And remember, Charlie McAvoy is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

The Bruins struggled to score goals even before the core of the team was gutted, lighting the lamp more than three goals once in the last 10 games. In addition, Boston has endured the sour taste of defeat in 12 of the last 14 games in enemy buildings.

I'm backing the Lighting to win 4-1.

Best bet: Lightning -1.5 (-102 via DraftKings)

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💰 Best Bruins vs. Lightning player prop bet odds & expert picks: March 8

Here are my best Bruins vs. Lightning player prop bet odds and expert picks for today's NHL matchup. You can also check out our NHL player prop odds tool for the latest NHL odds at the best legal sportsbooks in your region.

🏒 Best Jake Guentzel prop pick: Anytime goal ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +175 via FanDuel ($10 to win $17.50)

The dam has burst where Guentzel's goal-scoring is concerned. He has five goals in the last two games, including a hat trick against Buffalo on Thursday. While he didn't score against the Bruins in the previous two games, Guentzel lit the lamp seven times in the last nine games against the Bs.

With Guentzel hot, the Lighting firing on all cylinders and the Bruins reeling, I expect him to get on the scoresheet for the third straight game. FanDuel offers the most competitive odds of our best sportsbooks, where a winning $10 bet will profit $17.50.

📊 Best Jake Guentzel prop bet odds

🏒 Best Anthony Cirelli prop pick: Over 0.5 points ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +120 via bet365 ($10 to win $12)

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Like a library book you didn't return on time, Cirelli is overdue.

He hasn't tallied a single point in four games. Beforehand, he notched an assist in four straight games and posted five points. The current four-game point drought is his longest barren patch of the season. Cirelli has 45 points in 60 games, and I expect him to add to that tally Saturday afternoon.

📊 Best Anthony Cirelli prop bet odds

🏒 Best Nikita Kucherov prop pick: Over 1.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +115 via bet365 ($10 to win $11.50)

When the Lightning score four or more goals, chances are Kucherov is in on at least two of them. The Lightning have 223 goals, and Kucherov has 92 points, the third most behind Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon. That means Kucherov has notched a point on 41% of his team's goals.

I'm banking on Tampa Bay scoring four against Boston, which should see Kucherov notch at least a pair.

Kucherov, among the Hart Trophy odds front-runners, has five points in the last two games and 25 multi-point games in 59 contests. A winning $10 bet will profit $11.50.

📊 Best Nikita Kucherov prop bet odds

🚑 Bruins vs. Lightning injuries

Here are the latest injuries for today's Bruins vs. Lightning matchup, which will update in real time.

📺 How to watch Bruins vs. Lightning today

📅 Date: Saturday, March 8
🕗 Time: 3 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Amalie Arena (Tampa Bay, Fla.)
📺 TV: ABC
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ Bruins vs. Lightning FAQs

Who is favored to win Bruins vs. Lightning?

The Lightning are the comprehensive -260 favorites at bet365, while the Bruins are trading at +225 at FanDuel.

What are the odds for Bruins vs. Lightning?

The total is set at either 5.5 or 6 goals. At FanDuel, the Over 5.5 is -128, with the Under at +104.

What time is Bruins vs. Lightning today?

Today's Bruins vs. Lightning game from Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla., starts at 3 p.m. ET.

How to watch Bruins vs. Lightning

You can watch today's Bruins vs. Lightning game on ABC. Alternatively, you can stream it on ESPN+ or Sportsnet+.

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Written By:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.