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The Pittsburgh Penguins will fly south for this December matchup as they face the Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Penguins-Panthers prediction and pick.
The Penguins defeated the Stars 2-1 on Monday night in a tight game. Roope Hintz tipped a rebound in for a goal to give the Stars the early lead 19 seconds into the game. Then, Pierre-Olivier Joseph ripped a shot to tie it up for his second career NHL goal. It was a tie game going into the final minute of the game. Ultimately, Evgeni Malkin connected off a rebound and socked it into the net to stun the Stars with seconds left in the game.
The Panthers blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0. Early, Brandon Montour scored in the first period off assists from Gustav Forsling and Sam Reinhart to provide Florida the early lead. Matthew Tkachuk ripped his 14th of the season off passes from Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Later, Barkov scored his sixth goal of the season to give Florida a larger boost. The Panthers finished 0 for 3 on the powerplay, scoring all their goals on even strength.
The Panthers won the season series last year, taking two of three, including the only game at FLA Live Arena. However, the Penguins are 9-4-2 over the last 15 games in this series. The Pens are 3-2-2 over the previous seven matchups at FLA Live Arena.
Here are the Penguins-Panthers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Penguins-Panthers Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-245)
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+194)
Over: 6.5 (+104)
Under: 6.5 (-128)
Why The Penguins Could Cover The Spread
The Penguins are striving this year, with a 17-8-4 record and sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division. Ultimately, they are scoring consistently and getting solid play from goalie Tristan Jarry.
The Penguins are eighth in goals and 11th in shooting percentage. However, they have struggled on the powerplay, ranking 23rd on the powerplay. Sidney Crosby has 17 goals and 21 assists, with two powerplay tallies. Additionally, Malkin has nine goals and 20 assists, with two markers on special teams. Jake Guentzel has 13 goals and 16 assists, with four powerplay conversions. Also, Jason Zucker has six goals and 14 assists.
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The goaltending and defense have done well this year. Significantly, they are 10th in goals-against average and fourth on the penalty kill. Jarry is 13-3-3 with a 2.67 goals-against average and a save percentage of .920. Jarry has been a significant reason for Pittsburgh's success early in the season, allowing one goal or less in four of his last eight games.
The Penguins will cover the spread if their defense can prevent Florida from capitalizing on their chances. Moreover, they must avoid penalties to give the Panthers those opportunities.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
The Panthers made an enormous trade this offseason and are feeling the effects of it. Ultimately, they gained a fantastic goal scorer but gave up a brilliant playmaker. Tkachuk has led the team in scoring, but he does not have the playmaking abilities that Jonathan Huberdeau did, especially on special teams. However, he cannot share the blame for the defensive woes.
The Panthers are 14-12-4 and have muddled in mediocrity. Also, they have struggled to deliver consistently, especially on defense. But the Panthers are still scoring. Significantly, Florida ranks eighth in goals but is only 27th in shooting percentage. They also have struggled on the powerplay without Huberdeau, ranking 26th on the extra-man attack. Ultimately, Tkachuk has 14 goals and 25 assists, with two tallies on the powerplay. Carter Verhaeghe has 15 goals and nine assists, with four tallies on the powerplay. Meanwhile, Brandon Montour has six goals and 17 assists, with three on special teams. Sam Bennett has seven goals and 15 assists, with one tally on the powerplay. Conversely, Barkov has regressed, scoring six goals and 15 assists, with four on the extra-man attack.
The defense has not excelled at all. Ultimately, the Panthers rank 20th in goals-against average and are 18th on the penalty kill. Sergei Bobrovsky is struggling with a 6-8-1 record and a 3.35 goals-against average, with a save percentage of .889. Also, Spencer Knight is 8-4-3 with a 2.64 goals-against average and a save percentage of .919. These goalies must perform better to give the Panthers a chance.
Final Penguins-Panthers Prediction & Pick
These teams are going to battle to the very end. Significantly, the Penguins can steal this, but it's unlikely the Panthers will win by more than a goal. Both these teams have explosive scorers, and it could easily turn into a 4-3 game, possibly ending in a shootout. Two of their three games last season featured more than six goals. Likewise, expect more of the same here, with the stars getting in on the action.
Final Penguins-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Over: 6.5 (+104)
