The Winnipeg Jets and the Pittsburgh Penguins will clash on the ice this Friday evening in what should be an entertaining inter-conference duel! Join us for our NHL odds series where our Jets-Penguins prediction and pick will be revealed.
One of the more talented teams in the Western Conference so far this year, the Winnipeg Jets have absolutely steamrolled their competition 0f late and have been winners in six of their previous seven games. At the moment, the Jets have recorded 55 points on the season which is second-most in the Central Division.
While the Penguins haven't been as successful on paper in comparison to the Jets, Pittsburgh has still managed to fight their way to a 21-13-6 record and have a one-point advantage over the New York Islanders for the final wild-card playoff spot out east. After a dreadful six-game losing skid, the Penguins have won back-to-back games and look to be headed in the positive direction.
Here are the Jets-Penguins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Jets-Penguins Odds
Winnipeg Jets: +1.5 (-178)
Pittsburgh Penguins: -1.5 (+144)
Over: 6.5 (-120)
Under: 6.5 (-102)
How To Watch Jets vs. Penguins
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Jets Could Cover The Spread
In order to improve upon their remarkable 27-15 record against the spread which stands as one of the top marks in all of the league, the Jets need to continue to attack their opposition with a recent clean bill of health that has benefitted Winnipeg greatly. With the return of its top players in Blake Wheeler, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Nate Schmidt to name a few, the Jets are even more dangerous than they were around this time a week ago.
Outside of the fact that Winnipeg is near full strength in the injury department, the next thing that the Jets need to hone in on will be to limit the Pittsburgh offensive attack. At first glance, Winnipeg possesses a clear top-five defense in the NHL and has only surrendered 2.67 goals per game. Not to mention, the Jets are also 4-0 in their previous four games altogether after allowing two goals or less in their latest game played.
While there are multiple signs that point to Winnipeg being able to cover the spread this evening, no player may have a bigger impact on the outcome of this one than goalie Connor Hellebuyck. On the season, Hellebuyuck has been automatic with the second-best record for a goaltender in the league at 21-10 and also has the third-best save percentage in all of hockey at a.925 mark.
Why The Penguins Could Cover The Spread
It appears that the Penguins' dreadful struggles are behind them, and there is no doubt that Pittsburgh will do everything in their power to avoid going back to that losing state of mind. For now, the Penguins have been playing great when it comes to their ability in outshooting their foes. Going up against the Coyotes and Canucks in their previous two victories, Pittsburgh was able to stay aggressive enough in their opponents' zones while getting good looks on net. While not all of their shots were able to sneak past goalies, they have managed to score an extremely effective nine goals over the course of their last 120 minutes played on the ice.
In addition, a continued improved performance in the power-play department will go a long way for a Penguins squad that is hanging by a thread in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. After going an appaling 0-5 on their power-play opportunities in the win versus Arizona, the Penguins were able to bounce back in a big way when they scored twice on five tries with the extra-man advantage. Since Pittsburgh has posted a middle-of-the-pack conversion rate at 21% on capitalizing their power play's, it will prove to be vital for the Penguins to do damage when the Jets make mistakes throughout the course of tonight's epic matchup.
Not to mention, but can the Penguins find a way to string together a stellar outing from their blue line? As it stands, Pittsburgh's defense is somewhat in disarray as multiple skaters are currently occupied on the injured list. Without a doubt, the Penguins will be counting on multiple defenders to fill in nicely in order to come away victorious and also cover the spread in the meantime. If this unit struggles mightily, then the Penguins could find themselves in a boatload of trouble.
Final Jets-Penguins Prediction & Pick
Despite the Penguins needing this win slightly more than the Jets due to finding themselves in the fringe of playoff contention, it will be the Jets and their superb success in covering the spread that finds a way to get the job done.
Final Jets-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Jets +1.5 (-178)
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