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The Pittsburgh Penguins (0-1-0) take on the Detroit Red Wings (0-0-0) Thursday. Puck drop from Little Caesars Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Penguins vs. Red Wings odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; Pens won 2-1 last year
The Pens had their igloos ransacked by the New York Rangers in a 6-0 defeat Wednesday night. They will have to regroup on the back end of a back-to-back on the road against the Wings in their season and home opener. G Tristan Jarry did all he could, stopping 35 of 41 shots in the barrage. C Sidney Crosby played 20:59 and had 2 SOG.
The Wings open their season Thursday night after a promising offseason. They brought in quality veterans in RW Vladimir Tarasenko and G Cam Talbot to shore up their solid depth. They also re-signed RW Patrick Kane and locked up cornerstone D Moritz Seider to a 7-year deal. The Wings are primed for a chance to end their 8-year playoff drought.
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Penguins at Red Wings odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 12:25 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Penguins +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Red Wings -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Penguins +1.5 (-210) | Red Wings -1.5 (+170)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -120 | U: +100)
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Penguins at Red Wings projected goalies
Joel Blomqvist (25-12-6, 2.16 GAA, .921 SV% in ’23-24 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in AHL) vs. Ville Husso (9-5-2, 3.55 GAA, .892 SV% in ’23-24).
The 22-year-old former 2nd-round pick is slated for his NHL debut Thursday. He gave up 2 goals in 5:05 in his last preseason start Friday but settled in, stopping 26 of 29 overall.
The 29-year-old Husso was limited to 19 games last season due to injury, which has been his calling card back to his days in the minors. He did face the Pens in a 6-3 victory last year, though, stopping 30 of 33 in the process.
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Penguins at Red Wings picks and predictions
Prediction
Red Wings 5, Penguins 2
Moneyline
In last year’s home opener, the Wings roared out to a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. I look for that kind of intensity Thursday, whether the Pens bring back Jarry on consecutive nights or go with the rookie.
Take the RED WINGS -140.
Puck line/Against the spread
It’s not a great strategy overall, but it makes sense here. I’m going with RED WINGS -1.5 (+170) for a HALF-UNIT. Detroit has won 2 of the last 3 matchups at home vs. Pittsburgh, and both of those wins were by 3 goals.
Over/Under
The Over is the way to go here. Pittsburgh gave up 6 goals at home Wednesday night, traveled to Detroit and has to face a team with momentum from the offseason. All 3 matchups had 7+ goals and went Over last year.
Take the OVER 6.5 (-120).
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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