Tag: Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (29-13-5) visit the Detroit Red Wings (12-32-3) at Little Caesars Arena Friday for a 7:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Penguins-Red Wings odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Penguins at Red Wings: Projected starting goalies

Matt Murray vs. Jimmy Howard

Murray owns a 2.91 goals against average and .896 save percentage. The 25-year-old has posted a .915 SV% over two games this month; his last start was Jan. 10.

Howard has been plucked apart time and again over this season. The veteran netminder owns a .876 SV%. He’s logged a mere .850 figure over his last 12 games. Howard was pulled eight minutes (and three goals) into his last start, and his confidence has to be at rock-bottom. Running mate Jonathan Bernier is on the shelf until after the all-star break.

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Penguins at Red Wings: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Pittsburgh 4, Detroit 3

Moneyline (ML)

The line here has been hammered toward Pittsburgh. So much so, it has gone from budget play on the Pens to a near same for the Wings. The lean is DETROIT (+185). A number like +190 would make that profit potential vs. odds of winning too much to pass up.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Pittsburgh is playing its second game of a back-to-back. The Pens lost 4-1 at the Boston Bruins Thursday. They went into Boston with a 13-8 road mark against the puck line. With Thursday’s loss, Pittsburgh is 12-4 straight-up since Dec. 12. Over the stretch, the Pens have won half their games by multiple goals.

Pittsburgh is 11-5 as a dog on the puck line. But lay off the Penguins (-1.5, +120).

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over is 7-2 over Detroit’s last nine home games, 13-5 over the last 18 Pittsburgh-Detroit games and 4-1 over Pittsburgh’s last five tilts as a road favorite.

With the two-sided goaltending situation and C Sidney Crosby being back for the Pens, the top-side of this play is costly. But it’s the best of the three. Take the OVER 5.5 (-143).

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Pittsburgh Penguins at Boston Bruins odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Boston Bruins sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (29-12-5) and Boston Bruins (27-9-12) tangle at TD Garden at 7 p.m. ET Thursday. We analyze the Penguins-Bruins sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

Penguins at Bruins: Projected starting goalies

Matt Murray vs. Jaroslav Halak

Murray is riding a three-game winning streak. He is 13-6-4 on the season with a .896 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average, but may finally be starting to round back into form after losing playing time to backup Tristan Jarry.

Starter Tuukka Rask was knocked out of Tuesday’s start at the Columbus Blue Jackets in the opening minutes of the first period after a violent collision with Emil Bemstrom. Head coach Bruce Cassidy normally likes to rotate his goaltenders, so Halak was likely to make this start anyway. Halak allowed three goals on 27 shots in the loss, playing 58:48, so it’s uncertain if Cassidy turns to Rask if he is cleared.

NHL Special Thursday Bet

Bet $1, WIN $100 (in free bets) if both the New York Rangers and New York Islanders score a goal January 16, 2020. Bet Now!

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Penguins at Bruins: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:25 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Penguins 4, Bruins 2

Moneyline (ML)

The PENGUINS (+115) are a solid play on the road. Pittsburgh has won five straight on the road and 18 of its last 24 games overall. The Bruins (-139) have managed wins in just three of the past 10 games at home, and they’re 1-4 in the past five against Metropolitan Division foes.

New to sports betting? Every $10 wagered for the Penguins to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout would profit $11.50 if they do so.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Penguins (+1.5, -239) should be avoided. If you want insurance, they’re not worth playing, as they’ll cost you nearly two and a half times your return on investment. The Bruins (-1.5, +195) are a nice play at double money if you’re feeling the home side. I’m not, though. AVOID.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 5.5 (-134) has cashed in four in a row for the Pens, and four of the past five on the road. The Over is also 5-0 in Pittsburgh’s past five against teams with a winning overall mark, too. The Over is 3-1-1 in Boston’s past five games overall while going 10-2 in the past 12 meetings in this series and 5-1 in the previous six battles at TD Garden.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Minnesota Wild at Pittsburgh Penguins odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Minnesota Wild at Pittsburgh Penguins sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Minnesota Wild (20-19-6) pay a visit to the Pittsburgh Penguins (28-12-5) at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Wild-Penguins odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Wild at Penguins Projected starting goalies

Devan Dubnyk vs. Tristan Jarry

Dubnyk has registered a 3.16 goals against average and .898 save percentage in 22 games (20 starts) this season. The 6-foot-6 netminder allowed five goals (on just 23 shots on goal) against Pittsburgh Oct. 12. That was part of an uneven and injury-marred start to the season for Dubnyk. Since Dec. 21, he has logged a .914 SV%.

Jarry owns a 2.08 GAA and .932 SV%. The 24-year-old has been mortal of late, going 2-1-1 with a .906 SV% since the first of the year. For the season, Jarry’s .941 even-strength SV% ranks second in the NHL. He owns the same save mark with a 1.75 GAA at home.

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Wild at Penguins: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Pittsburgh 4, Minnesota 3

Moneyline (ML)

AVOID. C Sidney Crosby returns from injury tonight, and that puts a bit too much air in the Penguins’ straight-up odds (-208).

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Minnesota is 4-1 against the puck line over its last five road tilts. Pittsburgh is 2-5 ATS over its last seven at home. Each of the Pens’ last four wins was by a lone goal.

We will take both recent goaltender trends and ride those. The Wild are being undervalued due to recent results despite strong puck-possession and quality-shot indicators. Minnesota is 1-4-1 over its last six games. Making a play on MINNESOTA (+1.5 -154).

Over/Under (O/U)

The total has gone Over in five of Minnesota’s last seven games on the road. The total has gone Over is six of Pittsburgh’s last nine contests, and in the last six Wild-Pens games the Over is 5-1.

Pittsburgh has yielded a few extra shots of late. Minnesota’s analytic indicators show some upside in getting more quality scoring chances and in burying those once they do. That all makes for a sold play on the OVER 5.5 (-139).

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Pittsburgh Penguins at Arizona Coyotes odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Arizona Coyotes sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (27-12-5) meet the Arizona Coyotes (25-18-4) in an interconference battle of second-place teams at Gila River Arena Sunday for a 6 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Penguins-Coyotes odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Penguins at Coyotes: Projected starting goalies

Tristan Jarry vs. Adin Hill

Jarry owns a 2.04 goals against average and .934 save percentage through 21 games (19 starts). None of his peripheral splits or analytics are so out of whack as to make him a “playing over his head” fade candidate. Jarry has logged a .918 SV% over his last five starts, and that stretch includes games against the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, a couple of teams that score way more than Arizona’s 2.7 goals per game. He’s been solid over recent road turns.

Hill owns a 2.43 GAA and .925 SV% through five games (two starts). The 22-game NHL veteran will be tested in this home start. The Pens have averaged 3.4 GPG this season to rank seventh in the NHL; they’ve averaged 4.1 goals over their last 11 games.

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Penguins at Coyotes: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 11:50 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Pittsburgh 4, Arizona 2

Moneyline (ML)

Pittsburgh has fared well in closing out the final game of their longer road trips. Sunday’s game in Arizona marks the end of a trip that started with games at the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. Both Pittsburgh and Arizona are coming off one day of rest; the Penguins have fared better than the ‘Yotes in such situations. Arizona is 4-5 with shaky puck-possession indicators over its last nine games. The Coyotes are returning home after a three-game trip in the Southeast (Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes). Arizona went 1-2 over those three games and was shut out against both the Lightning and Hurricanes. The ‘Yotes are 2-4 in their first home game after multi-game road trips.

The puck line (below) is a solid play, but consider backing it up with PITTSBURGH (-133) as insurance.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Pittsburgh to win outright would return a profit of $7.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Penguins have a solid 13-7 mark against the PL. Arizona’s record is flimsy compared to goals for and against and then compared to underlying stats results. Add in recent results and peripherals and the contest in net and PITTSBURGH (-1.5, +220) is a play worth leveraging (perhaps alongside a moneyline play as a hedge against a one-goal game).

Over/Under (O/U)

A tip of the cap to the number and the bettors on both sides. The projected total is set at 5.5 (Over: +100, Under: -121). PASS.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (26-12-5) battle the Colorado Avalanche (25-15-4) Friday night at 9 p.m. ET at Pepsi Center. We analyze the Penguins-Avalanche odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Penguins at Avalanche: Projected starting goalies

Tristan Jarry vs. Pavel Francouz

Jarry owns a 2.04 goals against average and .934 save percentage through 21 games (19 starts). None of his peripheral splits or analytics are so out of whack as to make him a “playing over his head” fade candidate. Jarry has logged a .918 SV% over his last five starts, and that stretch includes games against the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, a couple teams in Colorado’s high-scoring neighborhood. He’s been solid over recent road turns.

Francouz has registered a 2.30 GAA and .930 SV% over his first 20 NHL starts, including two from last season. The 29-year-old rookie stopped 32 of 33 shots in his last start (Saturday at the New York Islanders). He’s 4-2 with a .940 SV% over his last six efforts (albeit against a relatively weak set of foes). Francouz has benefited from a .881 mark when on the penalty kill. Anything over .870 is often a solid indicator of the player being headed for downward regression.

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Penguins at Avalanche: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 1:45 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Pittsburgh 3, Colorado 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Avalanche (-161) are returning to home ice after a multi-game road trip – they are 1-4 over five previous games in that same situation. Colorado is 3-6-1 over its previous 10 games. While having solid offensive indicators, the Avalanche are too far out over their skis in ranking second in the league in scoring (3.6 goals per game). And Colorado has allowed 4.8 GPG over its last five home tilts. PITTSBURGH (+135) is the play.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Pittsburgh returns a profit of $13.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Away from home, the Penguins are 12-7 against the puck line. Five of the team’s last seven wins have been of the multi-goal variety, but Friday’s line – Pittsburgh (+1.5 -200) – draws a PASS.

Over/Under (O/U)

PASS on the UNDER 6.5 (-154). The low side is the lean but only at a much higher price.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Pittsburgh Penguins at Vegas Golden Knights odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Vegas Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (25-12-5) and Vegas Golden Knights (24-15-6) tangle at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday. We analyze the Penguins-Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

Penguins at Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Matt Murray vs. Marc-Andre Fleury

Murray has posted a 12-6-4 record, 2.92 goals against average and .896 save percentage with one shutout. He’ll get a chance to go up against his former teammate, and the man he replaced in the Steel City.

Fleury enters with an 18-8-3 record, 2.79 GAA and .910 SV% with two shutouts. One of those shutouts came Oct. 19 back in Pittsburgh in a 3-0 victory, as he turned aside all 29 shots he faced.

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Penguins at Golden Knights: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 8:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 4, Penguins 2

Moneyline (ML)

The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-154) are favored a home, as Fleury and Vegas look for the season sweep. It will be a tough test, as the Penguins (+125) are 5-1 in the past six games on the road, 11-4 in the past 15 overall and 5-0 in the past five against winning teams. Vegas has been hot, too, winning four in a row at home, four in a row overall and, for what it’s worth, the Golden Knights are a perfect 7-0 in their past seven on a Tuesday.

New to sports betting? Every $1.54 wagered on the Golden Knights ML will profit $1 if they prevail.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

While I expect the Knights (-1.5, +155) to take care of business, betting the puck line is not good business in a marquee battle like this. It’s awfully tempting at 1.55 times the return. It’s still a risky play with two good teams. AVOID.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 5.5 (-115) is worth a small-unit bet. The number has gone Over in five of VGK’s past six overall, and four of the past five at home. While the Under is 13-6 in Pittsburgh’s past 19 as an underdog, the Over is 7-3 in the past 10 against teams with a winning overall mark.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Florida Panthers (21-15-5) visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (25-11-5) Sunday at 5 p.m. ET at PPG Paints Arena. We analyze the Panthers-Penguins odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Panthers at Penguins: Projected starting goalies

Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Tristan Jarry

Bobrovsky owns a disappointing 3.33 goals against average and .895 save percentage this season. He stopped 4-of-7 shots before being replaced by Chris Driedger early in the second period of Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Over the last two seasons, Bobrovsky has been solid over three starts against the Pens.

Jarry has logged a league-best 1.94 GAA and .936 SV% over 17 starts and two relief appearances. His save mark is 40-plus points higher than that of starter Matt Murray. Jarry has registered three home shutouts over the last month, and two of those came against solid St. Louis Blues and Arizona Coyotes.

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Panthers at Penguins: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Pittsburgh 3, Florida 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Panthers are 2-5 over their last seven road games. They are in the final contest of a three games in four nights situation and they have played six games since Dec. 28. Jarry is rested and playing behind a Pens club which is 5-0 over its last five games against winning teams. Pittsburgh has impressive puck-possession indicators of late.

Florida’s win-loss record is outpacing its goals and goals allowed marks. The Panthers have had a couple winning spells that were very much built on the backs of bottom-feeder opponents. A look at Florida’s last 10 games backs up the case to fade. Take PITTSBURGH (-154).

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Puck-line trends – both for Florida on the road and against Pittsburgh at home – dilute the lean toward the Pens (-1.5, +170) here. PASS.

Over/under (O/U)

The Under is 24-11-1 over Pittsburgh’s last 36 home games. The bulk of the Florida fade is a tax on goals scored, and a bit of the same trend is baked into the numbers for the Pens. Back the UNDER 6.5 (-139).

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Notre Dame: Di Lauli to Make NHL Debut Saturday Night

Di Pauli will become the 13th former Notre Dame player to appear in the NHL this season

Former Notre Dame forward Thomas Di Pauli  will make his National Hockey League debut on Saturday night for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre (Jan. 4). 

Di Pauli was recalled for a second time this season and is in his fourth professional season after playing with Notre Dame from 2012-16. He joins former Irish teammate (and roommate) Bryan Rust on Pittsburgh’s forward lines. 

Di Pauli will become the 13th former Notre Dame player to appear in the NHL this season, joining: Anders Bjork (Boston Bruins), Ian Cole (Colorado Avalanche), Steven Fogarty (New York Rangers), Dennis Gilbert (Chicago Blackhawks), Jordan Gross (Arizona Coyotes), Vinnie Hinostroza (Arizona Coyotes), Anders Lee (New York Islanders), Kyle Palmieri (New Jersey Devils), Andrew Peeke (Columbus Blue Jackets), Bryan Rust (Pittsburgh Penguins), Riley Sheahan (Edmonton Oilers) and T.J. Tynan (Colorado Avalanche).

A former alternate captain with the Irish, Di Pauli joins Gross and Peeke in making his NHL debut this season. He will become head coach Jeff Jackson’s 23rd former Notre Dame player to play an NHL game and the program’s 37th overall. The 13 former players to appear in the NHL this season marks a record high total for the Notre Dame program.   

In 145 career games for the Fighting Irish, DiPauli totaled 30 goals and 48 assists for 78 points. He served as an alternate captain as a senior. 

Di Pauli graduated from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business as a marketing major.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Montreal Canadiens odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Montreal Canadiens sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Montreal Canadiens (18-17-6) host the Pittsburgh Penguins (24-11-5) Saturday at Bell Centre for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Penguins-Canadiens sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Penguins at Canadiens: Projected starting goalies

Matt Murray vs. Carey Price

Murray stopped 44 of 48 shots in a win over the Nashville Predators his last time out, Dec. 28. He is 11-6-4 on the year with a .894 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average.

Price enters Saturday on a personal three-game losing streak, dropping him to 16-14-3 on the season. He has a .901 SV% and 3.00 GAA. He allowed at least four goals in three of his last five starts.

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Penguins at Canadiens: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Penguins 4, Canadiens 1

Moneyline (ML)

The PENGUINS (-106) are the value play as a slight road underdog. C Sidney Crosby (abdomen) and LW Jake Guentzel (shoulder) remain out of the lineup, but the Habs are also missing key forwards in RW Brendan Gallagher (concussion) and LW Jonathan Drouin (wrist). The Pens are the much deeper team up front and on defense. We’ll call the goaltending battle even with both accomplished starters struggling mightily in 2019-20.

Pittsburgh is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and 8-7-2 on the road overall. Montreal is 4-6-0 over its last 10 games with four straight losses coming into Saturday and it is just 8-9-3 on home ice for the season. Both teams last played, and lost, Thursday.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Penguins to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $9.43.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Double down on the PENGUINS (-1.5, +260) with the alternative spread. They’re not worth the juice at -286 to cover +1.5 and either lose by just one goal or win outright, but that’s why we have alternate lines. Backing the Pens to win by at least 2 goals will return a profit of $26 on a $10 bet.

The Penguins are 20-20 against the spread overall but 10-7 on the road. The Canadiens are 22-19 ATS overall but just 7-13 at home. Each of the Penguins’ last five losses came by margins of at least 2 goals.

Over/Under (O/U)

Both teams are 5-5 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games. We’ll lean to the UNDER 5.5 (+125) Saturday as the value play. There’s too much firepower missing from both of these lineups, and at least one of these goaltenders will return to proper form sooner than later.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 153-124

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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San Jose Sharks at Pittsburgh Penguins odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s San Jose Sharks at Pittsburgh Penguins sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The San Jose Sharks (17-21-3) and Pittsburgh Penguins (24-11-4) open their 2020 calendar year with a 7 p.m. ET tilt at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. We analyze the Sharks-Penguins odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Sharks at Penguins: Projected starting goalies

Aaron Dell vs. Matt Murray

Dell owns a 3.15 goals against average, .900 save percentage through 12 starts and three relief appearances. Like the team in front of him, the fourth-year NHLer has struggled with consistency. Dell is, however, coming off a December that saw improvement in his save percentage (.911 in December vs. .890 prior). He’s been solid over his last three road games, but the most recent of those was Dec. 7.

Murray has logged a 2.96 GAA and .894 SV%. His save mark is 40-plus points lower than that of Penguins backup Tristan Jarry. Murray only appeared in three December games, and he was woeful over that stretch and the few games preceding it. The 25-year-old owns a .853 SV% over his last seven games.

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Sharks at Penguins: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Thursday at 12:50 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Pittsburgh 3, San Jose 2

Moneyline (ML)

This post-holiday JV matchup in goal takes too much of an edge off of what would likely be a play on San Jose (+155) with a big price. As listed, this is a decent Penguins (-189) club which has won seven of its last eight games overall and four in a row on home ice. The Pens do a credible job in creating quality scoring chances, and they don’t rely on power-play opportunities to score (Pittsburgh ranks seventh in goal scoring and merely 14th on the PP). PASS.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Sharks are on their second of a five-game road trip, and they played two nights ago (Dec. 31 — losing, 2-0, to the bottom-feeder Detroit Red Wings). San Jose has lost five in a row on the road. The Sharks rank 26th in scoring and 30th in allowing goals; they are 1-for-their-last-23 on the PP.

There are some analytics (recent Corsi figures, goalie trends, expected goals for and against) that would make the Sharks a play in some situations. But, that card will sit in the back pocket for now.

PASS on San Jose (+1.5, -167).

Over/Under (O/U)

There is a bit of value with some defensive pros for the Sharks and offensive cons for the Penguins. Take the UNDER 6.5 (-149).

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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