The Philadelphia Flyers look to tie the series up at PPG Paints Arena in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The match gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 13 and it’ll be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Odds
Pittsburgh (-215) is currently the favorite over Philadelphia (+180), and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals. The odds for betting that total stand at -115 money on the over and -105 on the under.
Pittsburgh is 48-35 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.7 units for moneyline bettors this year. That winning percentage, the second-best in the Metropolitan Division so far this season, isn’t too far off from to what the team managed during the 2016-17 season (50-32). Through 83 regular season matches, 48 of its games have gone over the total, while 33 have gone under and just two have pushed. This season, the team’s 31-11 SU at home.
The Penguins come into the matchup with the strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as the team has found the net on 26.1 percent of their extra-man opportunities this year. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 17th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 80.3 percent of all penalties.
The Penguins, as a collective unit, have been penalized 4.0 times per game overall this season, 4.0 per game over their past five outings total, and 4.0 per game over their last five home outings. The team’s had to stave off opposition power plays for 8.8 minutes per game over their last 10 matchups, in total.
Boasting a .908 save percentage and 26.3 saves per game, Matt Murray (30-20-3) has been the best goalkeeper for the Pens this year. If head coach Mike Sullivan decides to rest him, however, Pittsburgh may go with Tristan Jarry (15-11-11 record, .908 save percentage, 2.77 goals against average).
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby will both lead the offensive attack for the Penguins. Malkin (99 points) has tallied 43 goals and 56 assists and has recorded multiple points on 26 different occasions this year. Crosby has 32 goals and 60 assists to his name and has recorded at least one point in 55 games.
On the other side of the ice, Philadelphia is 42-41 straight up (SU) and has lost 3.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. A total of 45 of its games have gone over the total, while 36 have gone under and just two have pushed. The Flyers are 20-22 SU as the visiting team this season.
The Flyers have converted on 20.4 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 29th overall and it’s successfully killed off 75.9 percent of all opponent power plays.
Philadelphia’s players have been penalized 3.4 times per game this season, 3.6 per game over their past five outings total, and 3.6 per game over their last five games as the visiting team. The team’s had to kill penalties just 6.0 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Brian Elliott (.906 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Philadelphia. Elliott is averaging 25.7 saves per game and owns a 24-20-7 record.
For the visiting Flyers, the offense will be coordinated by Claude Giroux, who has 68 assists and 34 goals on the year.
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Penguins, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- Over Pittsburgh’s last ten outings, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 4-2 in those games).
- Power plays and penalty kills may prove to be critical in tonight’s game. The Flyers are 18-20 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 33-23 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Penguins are 22-11 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 31-22 in games where total penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Pittsburgh is 2-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while Philadelphia is 2-7 in shootouts.
- The over has hit in three of Pittsburgh’s last five games.
- Pittsburgh skaters have averaged 9.4 giveaways over its last five home games, its season average of 8.9 giveaways per game (the 12th-fewest in the league).
- Philadelphia skaters have averaged 6.6 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 9.2 giveaways per game (ranked 13th).
- The Penguins this season have recorded the sixth-most hits in the NHL (23.8 per game), but the club has averaged 26.4 over their past five home games.
