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The Florida Panthers play their second game in as many days as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Penguins-Panthers prediction and pick.
The Penguins come into the game at 17-17-5 on the year, placing them fourth in the Metropolitan Division. They have won just two of their last five games, and last time out, they visited the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings struck first on a Jonathan Berggren goal in the first period, but the Penguins would tie the game up. In the second period, the Red Wings grabbed a power play goal, but in the third, Sidney Crosby, the new Penguins franchise leader in assists, set up Drew O'Connor for the game-tying goal. Still, the Penguins would surrender that lead later in the period, and fall 4-2.
Meanwhile, the Panthers come into Thursday night at 23-13-2 on the year. They will be playing back-to-back games, and this is the second leg. The Panthers host the Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Here are the Penguins-Panthers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Penguins-Panthers Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-144)
Moneyline: +180
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+118)
Moneyline: -220
Over: 6.5 (+114)
Under: 6.5 (-140)
How To Watch Penguins vs Panthers
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: NHL Network
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
Sidney Crosby leads the team in points and assists this year, playing on the Penguins' top line. He has ten goals and 31 assists this year, with four goals and nine assists on the power play. He is joined on the line by Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. Rakell leads the team in goals this year. He comes in with 17 goals and 14 assists on the year, with three goals and five assists on the power play. Rust comes in with 15 goals and 12 assists this year, sitting fourth on the team in points.
Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin plays on the second line and is second on the team in points this year. He has eight goals and 23 assists this year, with two goals and seven assists on the power play. Further, the blue line has been productive for the Penguins. Erik Karlsson is fifth on the team in points, with three goals and 23 assists. Kris Letang adds seven goals and nine assists this year.
Tristan Jarry is expected to return to the goal for the Penguins in this one. He is 8-6-2 on the year with a 3.58 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage. Jarry is 2-2-1 in his last five starts but has three games with save percentages higher than his season average and goal-against lower than his average as well.
With Sergei Bobrovsky expected to be in goal on Thursday night, Spencer Knight would be in goal for this one. He is 6-5-1 with a 2.88 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage. He has also gone 2-2-1 in his last five starts but has given up three or more goals in four of his last five starts, with three games of four or more goals.
Why the Panthers Could Cover the Spread/Win
Sam Reinhart has been great this year, leading the team in goals, assists, and points, playing on the Panthers' top line. He comes in with 22 goals and 23 assists on the season. Reinhart has seven goals on the power play and four shorthanded. Aleksander Barkov joins him on the line and is third on the team in points. Barkov has 11 goals and 23 assists. Further, Barkov has five goals and seven assists on the power play. They are joined on the top line by Evan Rodrigues who comes into the game with seven goals and nine assists.
Matthew Tkachuk is second on the team in points. He comes in with 13 goals and 22 assists this year, good for his 35 points. Tkachuk is joined on the line by Sam Bennett. He has 13 goals and 14 assists this year. Finally, Carter Verhaeghe is fourth on the team in points, and playing on the third line. He has nine goals and 18 assists this year.
Final Penguins-Panthers Prediction & Pick
The Panthers come in as favorites in terms of odds in this NHL game. One reason is their ability to score. They are scoring 3.39 goals per game while sitting sixth on the power play this year. Further, they are 19th in the NHL in goals against per game. Meanwhile, the Penguins are scoring 3.05 goals per game, while sitting fourth in the NHL on the power play. Still, their defense has been bad this year. They are 32nd in the NHL in goals against per game. They have given up 18 goals in their last five games as well. The Panthers are coming in on a back-to-back, but are the better team in this one.
Final Penguins-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Panthers ML (-220)
