The Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers meet Thursday in NHL action at Amerant Bank Arena. Here’s a Panthers vs Penguins Prediction. This article will include a Panthers vs Penguins Pick.
Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Canucks and Sharks, and they play the Blue Jackets next. The Penguins have won 3 straight games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are averaging 3.29 goals per game and are scoring 26.3 percent of their power play opportunities. Justin Brazeau leads Pittsburgh with 5 goals, Evgeni Malkin has 8 assists, and Anthony Mantha has 15 shots on goal. Defensively, the Pittsburgh Penguins are allowing 2.29 goals per game and are killing 81.8 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Arturs Silovs has allowed 9 goals on 111 shots faced, while Tristan Jarry has given up 7 goals on 90 shots.
Florida Panthers Betting Preview
The Florida Panthers lost to the Sabres, beat the Bruins, and they play the Golden Knights next. The Panthers have lost 4 of their last 5 games.
The Florida Panthers are averaging 2.38 goals per game and are scoring 20.6 percent of their power-play opportunities. Brad Marchand leads Florida with 3 goals, Gustav Forsling has 4 assists, and Mackie Samoskevich has 23 shots on goal. Defensively, the Florida Panthers are allowing 2.88 goals per game and are killing 82.8 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed 13 goals on 152 shots faced, while Daniil Tarasov has given up 6 goals on 53 shots.
Why the Florida Panthers will win
- The Panthers have won each of their last six home games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Penguins have lost each of their last four games at Amerant Bank Arena.
- The home team has covered the puck line in each of the Panthers’ last six games.
- The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in three of their last four games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Panthers have won the first period in each of their last six games following a road win.
Why the Pittsburgh Penguins will win
- The Penguins have won four of their last five games as road underdogs.
- The Panthers have lost three of their last four games as favorites.
- The Penguins have covered the puck line in each of their last six games as road underdogs.
- The Panthers have failed to cover the puck line in seven of their last eight games.
- The Penguins have won the third period in seven of their last eight games as road underdogs.
Total Goals Facts
- Each of the Penguins’ last four road games against Atlantic Division opponents have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Each of the Panthers’ last three games against opponents on a winning streak have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Panthers’ last 11 home games against the Penguins.
- The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in four of the Penguins’ last five road games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Florida Panthers Player Prop Facts
- Sam Reinhart has scored the first goal in three of his last four home appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Sam Reinhart has scored at least one goal in four of his last five home appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Brad Marchand has recorded at least one point in each of the Panthers’ last six night games.
- Aleksander Barkov has recorded at least one assist in six of his last seven home appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Anton Lundell ranks T6th in the league for Power Play Goals (2) this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins Player Prop Facts
- Sidney Crosby has scored a goal in each of the Penguins’ last three games.
- Evgeni Malkin has recorded an assist in seven of his last eight road appearances against the Panthers.
- Evgeni Malkin has recorded at least one point in each of his last eight road appearances against the Panthers.
- Sidney Crosby ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for shooting percentage (40.0%) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Florida Panthers rank 30th in the league for goals per game this season (2.38).
- The Florida Panthers rank T1st in the league in short handed goals allowed this season (0).
- The Pittsburgh Penguins rank T5th in the league for goals against per game this season (2.29).
- The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of five teams to rank in the top 10 for both goals scored and goals conceded per game this season.
Panthers vs Penguins Prediction
The Panthers are still the better team and at home, where they’ve been a tough out over the last few years, so seeing them as favorites isn’t surprising. However, the Panthers are still dealing with endless injuries, and it does create some hesitancy when laying these prices. Also, the Penguins have won 3 straight games where the defense has shown improvement. Will it last? Who knows, but it does make the Penguins worth a look. I can’t lay these prices given the Panthers injury situation, and laying a PL to shave down the juice makes things riskier. I’ll take a stab with the Penguins.