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The Flyers and the Penguins meet in Pittsburgh! The Flyers and the Penguins have struggled to find consistency this season, but a win in this game would mean a lot for the Pennsylvania rivalry. We continue our NHL odds series with a Flyers-Penguins prediction and pick.
The Philadelphia Flyers have a 26-26 record and have followed up a five-game losing streak with a recent three-game winning streak. Thanks to Matvei Michkov's arrival as a rookie to pair with Travis Konecny, they still have the potential to make a run toward the postseason. This is a big game for them; they can win against their in-state rival on the road in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been inconsistent this season and have struggled more often than not. They have a 23-28 record and have lost five of their last six games and four straight coming into this game. Sidney Crosby is the key to their success, but Rickard Rakell has also emerged. They need both to show up in this rivalry and get back on track in the East.
Here are the Flyers-Penguins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Flyers-Penguins Odds
Philadelphia Flyers: +1.5 (-265)
Moneyline: -106
Pittsburgh Penguins: -1.5 (+210)
Moneyline: -113
Over: 5.5 (-132)
Under: 5.5 (+108)
How To Watch Flyers vs Penguins
Time: 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT
TV: ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Flyers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Flyers' offense has been very inconsistent this season. They score 2.90 goals per game and have a 10.7% shooting percentage on goal. Konecny makes this offense go, but Michkov has been a great second option. Konecny leads in points, goals, and assists, with 62, 22, and 40, respectively.
Michkov is second in all of them with 41 points, 17 goals, and 24 assists. The issue with this offense is that they need more depth outside of just those two. They should still find some success in this game on offense against the Penguins and their defense due to how much they have struggled on that side of the ice.
The Flyers have struggled on defense this season. They allow 3.27 goals per game and have an 88.5% save percentage. The defense will come down to Samuel Ersson at goalie. He has 18 wins, 10 losses, and three overtime losses. He is allowing 2.76 goals per game with an 89.6% save percentage.
Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have also been solid next to him. Fedotov has four wins, eight losses, and three overtime losses, and Kolosov has an identical record, with just one overtime loss in comparison. Fedotov allows 3.27 goals with an 87.7% save percentage, while Kolosov allows 3.45 goals with an 87% save percentage.
This defense is struggling to find consistency, but they should have some success against the Penguins because Pittsburgh has struggled on offense outside of Crosby.
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Penguins' offense has been inconsistent this season. They score 2.83 goals per game and have a 9.9% save percentage. This team has gone as Sidney Crosby has gone as long as he has been in Pittsburgh, and it's been no different this season. Crosby leads the team in points and assists, with 60 and 42, respectively.
Then, Rickard Rakell is the Penguins' goal-scoring leader, with 25 goals on the season. This offense needs more players to step up because Crosby can't do everything himself. They have an advantage in this game against the Flyers because Philly has struggled on defense most of the season entering this matchup.
The Penguins' defense has been a disaster this season. They allow 3.58 goals per game and have an 88.9% save percentage. The Penguins mainly use Alex Nedeljkovic as their primary goalie. He has 12 wins, 11 losses, and five overtime losses through 29 games. He is allowing 3.16 goals per game with an 89.3% save percentage.
Then, Tristan Jarry has also been used a lot. Jarry has eight wins, eight losses, and four overtime losses. He also allows 3.31 goals per game with an 88.6% save percentage. Finally, Joel Blomqvist has also seen some time as a goalie. He has three wins and nine losses while allowing 3.72 goals per game with an 88.6% save percentage.
This defense is going to struggle against the Flyers. Philly is not a juggernaut on offense, but they have enough to take advantage of a defense struggling as much as Pittsburgh's.
Final Flyers-Penguins Prediction & Pick
These teams are incredibly evenly matched entering this game. The Penguins' being the home team helps, but the Flyers are the slightly better team. Expect Konecny and Michkov to be the difference-makers. The Flyers will cover easily in this game and win outright.
Final Flyers-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 (-265)
