The Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins meet Saturday in NHL action at the PPG Paints Arena. Here’s a Penguins vs. Stars Prediction. This article will include a Penguins vs. Stars Pick.
Dallas Stars Betting Preview
The Dallas Stars beat the Sharks and Sabres, and they play the Avalanche next. The Stars have won 7 of their last 9 regular season games.
The Dallas Stars are averaging 2.5 goals per game and are scoring on 10 percent of their power play opportunities. Miro Heiskanen leads Dallas with 2 goals, Wyatt Johnston has 4 assists, and Jason Robertson has 11 shots on goal. Defensively, the Dallas Stars are allowing 1.5 goals per game and are killing 83.3 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Jake Oettinger has allowed 2 goals on 61 shots faced, and Casey DeSmith has given up 2 goals on 26 shots.
Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Capitals and Blue Jackets, and they play the Blackhawks next. The Penguins have lost 3 straight games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are averaging 4 goals per game and are scoring 26.7 percent of their power play opportunities. Evgeni Malkin leads Pittsburgh with 3 goals, Erik Karlsson has 5 assists, and Sidney Crosby has 15 shots on goal. Defensively, the Pittsburgh Penguins are allowing 3 goals per game and are killing 92.9 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Arturs Silovs has allowed 10 goals on 71 shots faced, and Segei Murashov has given up 5 goals on 80 shots.
Why the Pittsburgh Penguins will win
- The Stars have lost five of their last six games as road favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The underdogs have won four of the Penguins’ last five games at PPG Paints Arena.
- The Stars have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last seven games as favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Penguins have covered the puck line in each of their last seven games as home underdogs following a shootout loss.
- The Penguins have won the second period in nine of their last 10 games against Western Conference opponents when tied after the first period.
Why the Dallas Stars will win
- The Penguins have lost eight of their last nine home games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Stars have won six of their last seven games against the Penguins.
- The road team has covered the puck line in seven of the last eight games between the Stars and Penguins.
- The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last five games against Central Division opponents.
- The Penguins have lost the second period in each of their last six night games at PPG Paints Arena when trailing after the first period.
Total Goals Facts
- Nine of the Penguins’ last 10 games against Central Division opponents have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Each of the Stars’ last four games has gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Eight of the last nine Saturday games at PPG Paints Arena have gone OVER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in 20 of the Penguins’ last 21 games after coming off overtime.
- The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Stars’ last three games as favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
Pittsburgh Penguins Player Prop Facts
- Tommy Novak has scored a goal in five of his last six appearances against the Stars.
- Erik Karlsson has recorded at least one assist in seven of the Penguins’ last eight games as home underdogs against Central Division opponents.
Dallas Stars Player Prop Facts
- Jason Robertson has scored at least one goal in nine of the Stars’ last 12 games as favorites.
- Mikko Rantanen has recorded at least one assist in seven of the Stars’ last eight road games.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pittsburgh Penguins rank T3rd in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (92.86%).
- The Pittsburgh Penguins rank T5th in the league for goals per game this season (4.00).
- The Dallas Stars rank 1st in the league for goals against per game this season (1.50).
- The Dallas Stars rank 1st in the league in save percentage this season (.954).
Penguins vs Stars Injury Report
The Penguins will be without Andrei Kuzmenko, Justin Brazeau, and Ryan Graves.
The Stars will be without Joel Kiviranta, Matt Duchene, Harrison Scott, Luke Krys, and Cameron Hughes.
Penguins vs Stars Prediction
The Penguins have cooled off over the last week and are struggling when stepping up in competition. The Stars are showing signs of finding their footing, and they’ve put together back-to-back shutouts. The Stars have also won 8 of the last 10 games against the Penguins, and most of those wins were blowouts. The price isn’t too crazy. I have to side with the Stars on the road against the slumping Penguins.