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The Pittsburgh Penguins (37-19-6) continue their road trip with a date against the Anaheim Ducks (25-30-8) Friday at Honda Center at 10 p.m. ET (on ESPN+). We analyze the Penguins-Ducks sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Penguins at Ducks: Projected starting goalies
Matt Murray vs. John Gibson
Murray should get the call after All-Star Tristan Jarry started and lost in Los Angeles Wednesday. Murray is 17-9-5 with a 2.84 goals against average and .901 save percentage in 33 starts. While his only shutout of the season came on the road, he has a 3.08 GAA away from home as opposed to a 2.55 GAA in the Steel City. Murray allowed just one goal on 32 shots in a 2-1 home win over the Ducks in the first meeting Oct. 10.
Gibson has posted an 18-24-5 record, 3.01 GAA and .903 SV%. He allowed two goals on 28 shots in that Oct. 10 loss at Pittsburgh. Gibson is a respectable 11-11-2 with a 2.85 GAA and .905 SV% in 24 starts on ‘The Pond’ this season.
Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.
Penguins at Ducks: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:50 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Penguins 4, Ducks 2
Moneyline (ML)
The Penguins (-189) were dumped in Los Angeles as a -196 favorite Wednesday, showing why it is always risky to lay more than -180 on any single game. Nothing is a sure thing, and there is no sense risking nearly two times your potential return. AVOID a ML play in this one.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Penguins ML returns a profit of $5.29 if they win, while a $10 wager on the Ducks (+155) results in a profit of $15.50 if the home team prevails.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The PENGUINS (-1.5, +140) are more attractive on the puck line. Yes, they won the first meeting 2-1, and they were dropped in L.A. two nights ago, but the Ducks (+1.5, -167) are a mish-mash of AHL and NHL players, having been sellers at the deadline. They’ll simply be playing out the string. Don’t expect the Pens to lose two in a row against pretenders.
Over/Under (O/U)
Go lightly on the OVER 5.5 (-125). It’s hard to imagine the high-octane Pittsburgh offense getting shut down twice in three nights. The Over is also 5-2 in Ducks’ past seven games overall, and 6-2 in the past eight against winning teams. Look for the Pens offense to come alive against them. The Over is 4-1 in the past five skates on The Pond between these two clubs.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
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