The Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings meet Wednesday in NHL action at the Little Caesars Arena. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.

Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Penguins look for a third straight win to build on their 2-1-0 start. The Penguins have lost 4 of their last 6 road games. The Pittsburgh Penguins are averaging 3.67 goals per game and are scoring on 25 percent of their power play opportunities. Sidney Crosby leads Pittsburgh with 3 goals, Jake Guentzel has 5 assists, and Evgeni Malkin has 15 shots on goal. Defensively, the Pittsburgh Penguins are allowing 2 goals per game and are killing 90 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Tristan Jarry has allowed 3 goals on 54 shots faced, and Alex Nedelijkovic has given up 2 goals on 36 shots.

Pittsburgh Penguins Team Facts

• The underdogs have won four of the Penguins’ last five games.
• The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in eight of their last nine games as favorites against opponents on a winning streak.
• The Penguins have lost the first period in each of their last six night games against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Penguins’ last seven games following a home win.

Detroit Red Wings Betting Preview 

The Detroit Red Wings also look for a third straight win to build on their 2-1-0 start. The Red Wings have lost 6 of their last 9 home games. The Detroit Red Wings are averaging 4.33 goals per game and are scoring on 40 percent of their power play opportunities. Alex DeBrincat leads Detroit with 3 goals, J.T. Compher has 3 assists and Dylan Larkin has 18 shots on goal. Defensively, the Detroit Red Wings are allowing 2.67 goals per game and are killing 83.3 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Ville Husso has given up 7 goals on 51 shots faced, while James Reimer has allowed 0 goals on 23 shots.

Detroit Red Wings Team Facts

• The Red Wings have won three of their last four games as home underdogs against Metropolitan Division opponents.
• The Red Wings have covered the puck line in eight of their last 10 night games against Eastern Conference opponents.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Red Wings’ last eight games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
• The favorites have won the first period in four of the last five games between the Penguins and Red Wings.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Detroit Red Wings ranks T1st in the league in power play percentage this season (40.00%).
• The Detroit Red Wings ranks T2nd in the league for goals per game this season (4.33).
• The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of three teams to rank in the top 10 for both goals scored and goals conceded per game this season.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins ranks T7th in the league for goals against per game this season (2.00).

Randy’s Pick

The Pittsburgh Penguins are being listed as the favorites based off reputation, and they’re probably the better team on paper overall. However, both the Penguins and Red Wings are off to strong starts through 3 games, and this feels like an early statement spot for both clubs. At home, it feels like a bigger game for the Red Wings, who probably need a fast start more just to build confidence. The Red Wings offense caught fire against Tampa Bay and Columbus, and I expect the crowd to do what they can to keep the guys going. A proud franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015-16, the Red Wings have a chance to put themselves in a strong position, 4 games through the season. Statement spot for Detroit. Give me the home dog.