Subscribe
Follow Us
The Colorado Avalanche continue their road trip as they face the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with an Avalanche-Penguins prediction and pick.
The Avalanche comes into the game at 16-13-0, which is good for fourth in the Central Division. Still, they have won three of four, and in their last game, the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils. The Avalanche took a 2-0 lead in the first period and would add a goal in the second and third as well. Scott Wedgewood stopped all 25 shots he faced on the way to a 4-0 victory.
Meanwhile, the Penguins come into the game at 12-13-4. That is tied for sixth in the Metropolitan Division. They have won five of their last six games, and last time out, the Penguins faced the Toronto Maple Leafs in Mike Sullivan's 700th game as the coach of the team. The Penguins would find themselves tied with the Maple Leafs at two after two periods. Michael Bunting would break the tie in the third period, and the Penguins would add two empty net goals as the Penguins won the game 5-2.
Here are the Avalanche-Penguins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Avalanche-Penguins Odds
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+138)
Moneyline: -166
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline: +138
Over: 6.5 (-128)
Under: 6.5 (+104)
How To Watch Avalanche vs Penguins
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Avalanche Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Avalanche is led by Nathan MacKinnon. MacKinnon is first on the team in points this year, sitting with nine goals and 32 assists. He has three goals and 11 assists on the power play this year. MacKinnon is joined on the top line by Artturi Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen. Lehkonen has seven goals and five assists in his 17 games this year. Rantanen comes in with 15 goals and 11 assists this year, with five goals and eight assists on the power play.
Meanwhile, Cale Makar is third on the team in points from the blue line this year. He comes into the game with nine goals and 26 assists this year. Further, he has four goals and 11 assists on the power play. Casey Mittelstadt has also been great on the second line. He has seven goals and 14 assists this year. Finally, Valeri Nchushkin has been solid with six goals and four assists in just 12 games this year.
Alexandar Georgiev is expected to return from injury and be in goal in this one. He is 8-7-0 on the year with a 3.38 goals-against average and a .874 save percentage. After having some struggles, Georgiev was great in his last start. He stopped 29 of 30 shots in a win. It was the third time in five starts he was above .900 in save percentage.
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Penguins is led by Sidney Crosby. Crosby leads the team in points again this year, while also leading the team in assists. He has eight goals and 19 assists this year, with three goals and five assists on the power play. He is joined by Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. Rakell comes in with 11 goals and seven assists on the year, with two goals and two assists on the power play. Rust comes in with nine goals and six assists this year, sitting fifth on the team in points.
Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin, amidst trade rumors, has been solid this year. He has six goals and 18 assists this year with a goal and six assists on the power play. Further, the blue line has provided production for the Penguins this year. Erik Karlsson has two goals and 16 assists this year, sitting third on the team in points. Marcus Pettersson has two goals and 11 assists, good for sixth on the team in points this season.
Tristan Jarry is expected to return to the goal for the Penguins in this one. He is 5-3-1 on the year with a 3.68 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage. After early season struggles, Jarry has been solid as of late. Last time out, he stopped 25 of 27 shots in a win. Jarry has won four straight games, and been above .900 in save percentage in three of them.
Final Avalanche-Penguins Prediction & Pick
The Avalanche come in as heavy favorites in terms of odds in this NHL game. They are scoring well, scoring 3.24 goals per game, and sitting seventh on the power play. They have struggled on defense this year though, sitting 29th in the NHL in goals against per game. Still, the Penguins are even worse in that regard, sitting 32nd in the NHL in goals against per game. They also scored just 2.86 goals per game. While the Penguins have been better as of late, the Avalanche will get the win in this one.
Final Avalanche-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Avalanche ML (-166)
