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The Golden Knights and the Penguins meet in Pittsburgh! The Golden Knights have been one of the best teams in the NHL this season, while the Penguins have struggled to find consistency. We continue our NHL odds series with a Golden Knights-Penguins prediction and pick.
The Golden Knights are 38-19-6 but lost a recent game to break a four-game winning streak. They have looked dominant this season. Jack Eichel makes this team go, but Mark Stone and Tomas Hertl have been great next to him as a backup to one of the best players in the country. This would be a big bounce-back opportunity for Vegas on the road in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been inconsistent this season and have struggled more often than not. They have a 25-31 record and broke a recent four-game losing streak. Sidney Crosby is the key to their success, but Rickard Rakell has also emerged. This would be a massive win if they could pull it off. The Penguins could win in this game against Vegas at home.
Here are the Golden Knights-Penguins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Golden Knights-Penguins Odds
Vegas Golden Knights: -1.5 (+126)
Moneyline: -192
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-154)
Moneyline: +155
Over: 6.5 (+104)
Under: 6.5 (-128)
How To Watch Golden Knights vs Penguins
Time: 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT
TV: Scripps Sports/SportsNet Pittsburgh
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Golden Knights Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Golden Knights have picked up where they left off last season and are one of the best offenses in the NHL. They score 3.37 goals per game, have a 28.5% power play, and an 11% shooting percentage.
The offense goes as Eichel goes. He leads the team in points with 77 and assists with 57. Hertl is also the best goal-scorer on the team, scoring 27 goals in the season. Stone also had a solid season with 56 points, which is second, while Hertl was third with 52.
The Golden Knights have been great on offense and they have depth next to Eichel. He makes this offense go and is one of the best players in the NHL, but the key behind Vegas' success is their depth and that will be the difference in this game against a Penguins defense that has had a rough season all year.
The Golden Knights' defense has been great this year, but not as good as their offense. They allow 2.73 goals per game and have a 90% save percentage.
The key to this defense has been the goalie duo of Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov. Hill has 23 wins, 11 losses, and four overtime losses through 38 games. He also allows 2.60 goals per game and has a 90.4% save percentage. Samsonov has 15 wins, eight losses, and two overtime losses through 25 games. He also allows 2.80 goals per game and has an 89.1% save percentage.
This defense can carry the Golden Knights, but the offense is one of the best in the NHL. This combination makes for a great season for the Golden Knights in Vegas.
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Penguins' offense has been inconsistent and struggled more often than not this season. They score 2.82 goals per game, have a 24.2 power play percentage, and a 9.8% save percentage.
The Penguins go as long as Crosby has been in Pittsburgh, and it's been no different this season. Crosby leads the team in points and assists, with 68 and 47, respectively. Then, Rakell is the Penguins' goal-scoring leader, with 29 goals on the season. Crosby and Bryan Rust are tied for second in goals scored with 21 on the season.
This offense needs more players to step up because Crosby can't do everything himself, despite his age. The offense for the Penguins has talent and will need to score on the Golden Knights. This is the X-factor in the game because Vegas has a great defense.
The Penguins' defense has been a disaster and one of the worst in the NHL this season. They allow 3.59 goals per game and have an 88.9% save percentage.
The Penguins mainly use Alex Nedeljkovic as their primary goalie. He has 12 wins, 14 losses, and five overtime losses through 33 games. He is allowing 3.17 goals per game with an 89.1% save percentage. Tristan Jarry has also been used a lot. Jarry has nine wins, eight losses, and four overtime losses. He also allows 3.20 goals per game with an 89% save percentage. Finally, Joel Blomqvist has also seen some time as a goalie. He has four wins and nine losses while allowing 3.81 goals per game with an 88.5% save percentage.
Given how well this offense is playing this season, this defense will struggle against Vegas. Eichel and the Golden Knights should overwhelm the Penguins in this matchup in Pittsburgh.
Final Golden Knights-Penguins Prediction & Pick
The Golden Knights are the better all-around team. They have the offense to score on the Penguins at will in this game, and they should slow down Crosby enough to win and cover easily.
Final Golden Knights-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Vegas Golden Knights -1.5 (+126)
