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It won't be the best matchup when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks meet on Thursday night. Both teams are in seventh in their respective divisions, with the Penguins heading for a rebuild and the Ducks still trying to emerge from their lengthy quest to be contenders. It has been difficult for both teams over the past ten games, but the Penguins' recent history against the Ducks is one thing for them to be optimistic about. Pittsburgh has won eight of the past ten matchups between these teams, including the first one this season at home. The Penguins outlasted the Ducks with a 2-1 overtime final. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Penguins-Ducks prediction and pick.
Here are the Penguins-Ducks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Penguins-Ducks Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins: -1.5 (+170)
Moneyline: -150
Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline: +125
Over: 6 (-105)
Under: 6 (-115)
How To Watch Penguins vs. Ducks
Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: Victory+, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Penguins have been putting together some wins over the past couple of games, starting their road trip with victories in two of three contests. It has been an offensive outburst, which could've been brought on by the rumors of Kyle Dubas blowing up the team. They won 5-2 over the Buffalo Sabres in a battle of two of the East's worst teams, then defeated the Los Angeles Kings in their first game on the West Coast. It's a challenging schedule for the Penguins, as they've already been on the road for three games and still need to finish with games in Anaheim, Seattle, San Jose, and Utah.
The Penguins and their fans think they have it bad, but it can't get much worse than Anaheim's season. The Ducks have won just two games over their past ten and are trending toward another top-five draft pick. It'd be okay if the Ducks were at the start of their rebuild and needed more top-end talent, but their roster is already stocked with young skill. The Ducks felt they would be out of the rebuild or at least looking close, but the young players they chose might not be the answer. They look at their Pacific Division rival, San Jose Sharks, and see a fun offensive team that needs to clean up their defense. However, the Ducks are a young team that has been shut out in three of their past ten games, averaging just 1.8 goals per game.
Why the Ducks Could Cover the Spread/Win
One positive for the Ducks this season has been the play of their goaltenders, but that doesn't matter much when their offense is struggling like it has. The good news is the Penguins are also below-average offensively, so whoever starts between John Gibson and Lukas Dostal could steal a game for Anaheim. The pair have a 3.00 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage over their last five games, with Gibson trending to start this one.
Final Penguins-Ducks Prediction & Pick
The Penguins had a couple of offensive outbursts, but they could trend back to the norm in this game. This feels like a sloppy, boring game that people will tune out of after the first period. The good news for us is that those games tend to trend towards the under, and that's what we'll take in this game.
Final Penguins-Ducks Prediction & Pick: Under 6 (-115)
