Celtics, Bruins at Home Could Be Easy Money When MA Sports Betting Launches

Written By C.J. Pierre on December 2, 2022
Betting on the Celtics and Bruins at home could be easy money when Massachusetts sports betting launches

Sports betting in Massachusetts will soon become a reality. When it officially launches early next year, many folks in the Bay State will be learning the ins and outs of making wagers.

Thankfully, there is no shortage of entertaining teams to put your money behind.

And right now, two of the most storied franchises in sports could help folks in the state rake in the dough.

The Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins are off to scorching starts and are winning games at a high clip, especially at home. That home success both teams are enjoying at TD Garden could be a golden ticket for Massachusetts sports bettors — who will have a high likelihood of winning small, repeated chunks of profit by betting on the Celtics and Bruins at home with sportsbooks like DraftKings Massachusetts.

Bruins Undefeated at Home

You could argue that through the first two months of the 2022-2023 NHL season, the Bruins are the best team in hockey. They are 19-3 and have not suffered an overtime loss. But what’s even more impressive is that they are undefeated at home.

The Bruins are 13-0 when playing at TD Garden this season. And when you dive into the numbers, you can see a lot of potential for profit when betting on the Bruins once sports betting launches in Massachusetts.

For example, Boston is undefeated on the moneyline at home this season. Granted, it has been the heavy favorite in most of those games. However, the Bruins were underdogs at home once and came away with a win against the Florida Panthers in the second home game of the season.

But the Bruins also have a record of 10-3 against the puck line at home this season. That’s where the money is made. Most puck line odds end up between -110 and -170. Meaning, straight bets on the Bruins to cover at home is a solid play.

Boston has a goal differential of +30 at home this season. We’ll see if this dominance at home will still be in play once folks in Massachusetts can legally place bets in-person in January and online by February or March.

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Celtics Own TD Garden

TD Garden houses two of Boston’s favorite sports franchises. And at the same time as the Bruins, the Celtics are also dominating opponents at home.

The Celtics are 18-4 on the season, with an 11-1 record at home. Their only loss came to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second home game of the season. Since that loss, they have won 10 straight in front of their home crowd. Boston has been favored in every home game. The team also has a 9-3 record against the spread at home this season.

The difference between NBA spreads and NHL puck lines is typically the odds you can find. Most NHL puck lines will be plus or minus 1.5 goals, with odds shifting depending on the matchup. However, the point spread in the NBA shifts depending upon the matchup, while the odds remain relatively the same.

Meaning that, more often than not, Boston Celtics odds against the spread will be at -110. And betting on the Celtics at home has been great for sports bettors across the country up to this point.

What to Expect From the Celtics and Bruins When MA Sports Betting Launches

The current expectation is that retail sports betting in Massachusetts will go live in January 2023. Online sports betting will likely follow in early March 2023. So, where will these two teams be once the new year rolls around?

Title or Bust for the Celtics

The Celtics made a run to the NBA Finals last year. Despite the turmoil with suspended head coach Ime Udoka, it is “championship or bust” for this team.

Jayson Tatum is playing at an MVP-caliber level. In fact, he is currently tied for the best odds to win the award with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić at .

Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown is also playing outstanding. The team is rolling, and there is no reason to not expect more of the same in January and beyond. The hope is that Boston will be pushing for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Meaning, we should anticipate more home victories once legal sports betting launches in Massachusetts.

Can the Bruins Keep Up the Pace?

Hockey is a weird sport to figure out. We often hear about the home field, home court or, in this case, home ice advantage. However, that doesn’t matter much in hockey if the other team’s goaltender isn’t letting any pucks past him or “standing on his head,” as is often said.

The Bruins are unbeaten at home. While that is wonderful, there is no realistic way to expect them to win all their games at TD Garden. That being said, there is something different about the atmosphere when Bruins fans get going. If there has ever really been a home ice advantage, it lives in Boston.

Boston has been a bit of a surprise this season. In the preseason, they weren’t even in the top five for Stanley Cup betting odds. Now they have the second-best odds at right behind the Colorado Avalanche. Ironically, the Bruins host the Avs on Dec. 2.

Folks in Massachusetts will have about 3.5 months to cash in on some Boston home cooking once sports betting launches. Based on how the seasons have started for the Bruins and Celtics, we’d expect consistent wins as favorites at home in 2023.

Photo by AP / Michael Dwyer
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C.J. Pierre

C.J. Pierre is a Lead Writer at Play MA. He has been covering news and sports for over a decade for both online and TV broadcasts. He was born and raised in Minneapolis and an alum of Minnesota State University: Moorhead. He recently dove into tribal casino news. He also covered the launch of sports betting in Arizona. C.J. has experience as a reporter and videographer and has covered high school, college and professional sports throughout his career. Most notably following Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Vikings and North Dakota State University football.

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