PNC Arena will be the site for an enticing matchup as the Pittsburgh Penguins pay a visit to the Carolina Hurricanes. This Metro Division matchup will get underway at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 22, and it will be broadcasted live on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes Odds
Both squads have an identical -110 money line, and oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -120 for the over and even money (+100) for the under.
Pittsburgh is 17-18 straight up (SU) and has lost 12.4 units for moneyline bettors this year. 15 of its contests have gone over the total, while another 15 have gone under and just five have pushed. As a road team in 2018-19, the Pens are 7-9 SU.
Pittsburgh has converted on 22.2 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. Additionally, its penalty kill is ranked sixth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 83.3 percent of its penalties.
Pittsburgh, as a collective unit, has been penalized just 3.4 times per game overall this season, and 4.2 per game over its last five on the road. The team’s been forced to defend opponent power plays just 7.7 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
With a .926 save percentage and 27.0 saves per game, Casey DeSmith (11-13-4) has been the top option in goal for Pittsburgh this year. If it chooses to give him a rest, however, Pittsburgh could turn to Matt Murray (6-7-1 record, .890 save percentage, 3.70 goals against average).
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will both lead the offensive attack for the visiting Penguins. Crosby has 38 points on 16 goals and 22 assists, and has recorded multiple points 13 times. Malkin has 11 goals and 26 assists to his name, and has notched at least one point in 23 games.
On the other side of the ice, Carolina is 14-19 straight up (SU) and has lost 12.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 33 regular season outings, 22 of its games have gone under the total, while 11 have gone over and none have pushed. It’s 8-10 SU at home this year.
Carolina has converted on just 16.7 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s ranked 23rd in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 17th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 80.2 percent of all opponent power plays.
The Hurricanes have been penalized only 3.6 times per game this season, and 3.0 per game over their last five at home. The team’s been forced to defend opponent power plays just 8.3 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Petr Mrazek (22.5 saves per game) has been the top selection in the crease for Carolina. Mrazek has five wins, nine losses, and two OT losses to his credit and has recorded a fairly-weak .897 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average this season.
The home team will be led on offense by Sebastian Aho (12 goals, 22 assists).
Pittsburgh Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Hurricanes, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The under has hit in three of Carolina’s last five games.
- Two clubs that fire the puck on goal a lot, Pittsburgh has registered the league’s ninth-most shots on goal (32.6) and Carolina has attempted the most (37.5).
- The Hurricanes are 6-11 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 10-15 when they serve fewer than 10 penalty minutes, in total.
- Pittsburgh is 1-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while Carolina is 1-2 in shootouts.
- Carolina is ranked 2nd in the NHL this season with 11.6 takeaways per game. That figure’s trended higher, as it has created 12.4 takeaways over its last 10 games and 13.6 takeaways over its last five.
- Pittsburgh is ranked ninth in the NHL with 8.4 takeaways per game. That figure has trended down, however, as the team has averaged 7.1 takeaways over its last 10 games and 6.6 takeaways over its last five.
