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The Pittsburgh Penguins hit the road to take on the Detroit Red Wings Thursday night. Below we will continue our NHL odds series as we hand out a Penguins-Red Wings prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Here are the Penguins-Red Wings NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Penguins-Red Wings Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-215)
Moneyline: +112
Detroit Red Wings: -1.5 (+176)
Moneyline: -134
Over: 6.5 (-115)
Under: 6.5 (-105)
How To Watch Penguins vs. Red Wings
Time: 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Detroit
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
Pittsburgh is coming off a game Wednesday night. Back-to-back games should not matter as much since the season is just beginning, but some of the older skaters could feel the effects. The Penguins have just eight players under the age of 27. Nonetheless, they are a talented team. Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still good players despite their age. Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Kris Letang all return for the Penguins, as well.
Last season, the Penguins exceled on faceoffs. Whether it was even strength, short-handed, or on a power play, the Penguins are really good when it comes to winning faceoffs. Winning these faceoffs in the offensive zone and defensive zone is going to be very important. If the Penguins can continue to win faceoffs, they will win this game.
Tristan Jerry is the expected starter in net for this game. He is the best option for the Penguins, as well. Last season, Jerry allowed less than three goals per game over 51 games played. He was also able to finish with a save percentage over .900. The Red Wings are a very good team when it comes to scoring, so it is not going to be easy on Thursday. However, Jerry is very capable of shutting them down.
Why the Red Wings Could Cover the Spread/Win
Detroit will be playing their first game of the season Thursday night. They are a team that loves to share the wealth in the offensive zone. Last year, the Red Wings had eight players with at least 15 goals. With that, the Red Wings scored the ninth-most goals. Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Patrick Kane are the main four returners, and they were the top four goal scorers. As long as they can start where they left off, the Red Wings will win the game.
Shayne Gostisbehere is not going to be an easy player to replace for Detroit. However, Moritz Seider should be able to take on a bigger responsibility. He is a good, young player, and he had 33 assists last season. Erik Gustafsson is also a new name on the team, and he should make an immediate impact. With these two players, and the rest, the Red Wings should be able to play well in the defensive zone.
Probably the biggest acquisition for Detroit this offseason is starting in net for them. Cam Talbot comes to Detroit from Los Angeles where he was one of the best in the NHL. He allowed just 2.50 goals per game, and his save percentage was an outstanding .913. He is a great addition to the Red Wings, and just what the team needs. Last season the Red Wings allowed the eighth-most goals per game, so Talbot should lower that number.
Final Penguins-Red Wings Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a hard-fought game, but I am leaning towards the Red Wings. They made some great additions to their team, and that will show in this game. I will take the Red Wings to win straight up.
Final Penguins-Red Wings Prediction & Pick: Red Wings ML (-134)
