Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson, and the Columbus Blue Jackets will do battle against Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in a divisional showdown. The action will get underway at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 24, and it will be shown live on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Odds
Moneyline and Over/Under (O/U) odds have not yet been posted for this matchup.
Columbus is 13-9 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. 11 of its contests have gone under the total, while nine have gone over and one has pushed. As the road team this season, the Jackets are 7-4 SU.
Columbus has converted on just 16.0 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s ranked 25th in the NHL. Its penalty kill is ranked 19th overall, and it has successfully killed off 78.6 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 27.9 saves per game with a .917 save percentage, Sergei Bobrovsky (8-7) has been the primary option in goal for Columbus this season. Bobrovsky played last night, however, so Columbus could choose to rest him and instead roll with Joonas Korpisalo (5-3-2 record, .885 save percentage, 3.68 goals against average).
Over on the other bench, Pittsburgh is 8-13 straight up (SU) and has already lost 12.2 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 21 regular season contests, eight of its games have gone over the total, while another eight have gone under and four have pushed. The team is 4-7 SU at home this season.
The Penguins have converted on 25.4 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s good enough for seventh-best in the league. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked ninth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.5 percent of all opponent power plays.
Casey DeSmith (23.5 saves per game) has been the top choice in the crease for the Penguins. DeSmith has four wins, nine losses, and three overtime losses to his name and has maintained a 2.39 goals against average and a .924 save percentage this year.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Penguins, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- For both of these teams, the game went over the total in three of their past five matchups.
- Columbus has attempted 32.6 shots per contest overall this season (ranked 12th in the NHL), and 30.6 in its last five road outings.
- Six of Columbus’ last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 4-2 in those games.
- The Penguins this season have recorded the second-most hits per game in the NHL (31.0), but that average has climbed to 37.4 over their last five games as the home team.
