Halloween afternoon brings a 10-game NHL slate, and the best parlay spot might be the early one at TD Garden. The Boston Bruins (9-4-1) host the Chicago Blackhawks (4-9) at 1:00 PM ET, and the Bruins are the heavy favorites. If you are new to same game parlays, this one is a good place to learn how the pieces fit together.
A same game parlay (SGP) combines several bets from one game into a single wager. Every leg has to hit for the ticket to cash, so the payout is bigger than a single bet, but the risk is bigger too. Below is a four-leg SGP built around the Boston side, with an explanation of why each leg makes sense. Odds move all day, so always check your book for the current number before you place anything.
Leg 1: Bruins -1.5 on the Puck Line
The puck line is hockey’s version of a point spread. Boston is a roughly -215 to -225 moneyline favorite, and laying 1.5 goals pays plus money, around +106 to +120 depending on the book. That means the Bruins have to win by two or more goals.
Chicago has dropped to 4-9, is 0-5 on the road, and is scoring just over two goals a game with a power play converting around 10 percent. Boston has won four straight at home and is averaging 4.1 goals over its last 10 games. Two of their last three have been losses, including a 4-1 defeat in St. Louis on Thursday, but the Bruins outshot the Blues 32-18 in that one. The process has been good.
Leg 2: Over 5.5 Total Goals
Totals are simple: you are betting on how many goals both teams score combined. The number is 5.5 at several books (around -132 for the over), though some shops are hanging 6 or 6.5, so shop around before you lock it in.
This leg fits the first one nicely. If Boston wins by two or more, it is probably because the Bruins scored three or four times, and Chicago only needs a goal or two to get the game to six. The Blackhawks have allowed 3.69 goals per game this season, so the Bruins should get chances. The risk is a low-scoring grind, so treat this as the leg with the most variance.
Leg 3: Connor Bedard Over 0.5 Points
A player points prop is one of the easier bets to understand. Bedard needs one goal or one assist, and he has seven points (three goals, four assists) through seven games this season. He has found the scoresheet with a goal in three of those seven, and he scored in the 4-1 loss at Detroit on Thursday.
Bedard averages about 2.6 shots per game and plays over 20 minutes a night, including power-play time. The price is heavy at about -180 to -186, so he adds a lot of probability but little payout. On a team that has scored one goal in its last two games, he is still the most likely Blackhawk to be involved when they do score.
Leg 4: James Hagens Anytime Goal
This is the longer-shot leg that lifts the payout. Hagens has five goals and five assists in 14 games and has been scoring at a 18.5 percent clip on his 27 shots. He scored Thursday against the Blues, and anytime goal odds on him are around +320 at some books. Look at live NHL odds to compare prices across sportsbooks.
The reason to include him here, rather than a superstar, is value. If Boston wins big as the first two legs suggest, a secondary scorer finding the net is a very natural way for it to happen. He is a young player, so the line is still forgiving compared with the better-known names on the roster.
The Full Parlay
Put it together and the ticket reads: Bruins -1.5, over 5.5 total goals, Bedard over 0.5 points, and Hagens anytime goal. Your sportsbook will show the combined price, and because the legs are correlated (a Boston blowout helps the first, second and fourth legs), many books will adjust the payout down from simple multiplication. That is normal, so do not be surprised if the number looks smaller than you expect.
The case is straightforward: the league’s weakest road team against a rested, strong home side that has been dominating shot totals. The weak spot is Bedard, who needs to produce for a team that is scoring so little. Beginners may want to start with only the first three legs, or just two, to cut risk. Whatever you play, set a budget and stick to it, and take a look at the betting calculator to see what a parlay would pay on your stake. Bet responsibly.
