The Canucks vs. Penguins matchup on Thursday night will feature two of the hotter teams in the league. With Pittsburgh listed as a home favorite and the total sitting at 6.5, what’s the smart bet tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
029 Vancouver Canucks (+112) at 030 Pittsburgh Penguins (-134); o/u 6.5
7:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, January 11, 2024
PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
TV: NHLPP/ESPN+
Canucks vs. Penguins: Public Nearly Split
As of this writing, our NHL Public Betting Page shows that 53% of bets are on the Penguins moneyline. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided to get the most up-to-date public betting information.
DeSmith Faces on 20 Shots in Win
Casey DeSmith stopped 18 of 20 shots in Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the Islanders. DeSmith didn’t face a heavy workload Tuesday, as he allowed just a pair of goals to Brock Nelson, earing his first win since Dec. 19. DeSmith has seen limited work behind Thatcher Demko in Vancouver, though he’s been solid of late, going 3-1-1 with a .931 save percentage over his last five outings. Overall, DeSmith improved to 7-3-2 with a .913 save percentage and 2.53 GAA this season.
Malkin Nets Two Points in Win Over Flyers
Evgeni Malkin tallied a goal and an assist in Monday’s 4-1 victory over the Flyers. Malkin set up Rickard Rakell’s power-play tally 45 seconds into the first period before closing the scoring in the third, beating Carter Hart with a wrister to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 4-1. The goal was Malkin’s first in five games, though he now has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last 10 contests. Overall, the 37-year-old winger is up to 15 goals and 35 points through 39 outings this season.
Canucks vs. Penguins Betting Trends:
Vancouver are 11-4 SU in their last 15 games
Pittsburgh are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
Pittsburgh are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Vancouver
Vancouver are 9-2 SU in their last 11 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference
Canucks vs. Penguins Betting Prediction
Take the over, which is 8-2 in the Canucks’ last 10 games and is 15-6 in their last 21 road games. The over has also cashed in 26 out of Vancouver’s last 35 games against Eastern Conference foes and has hit in seven out of its last eight games against an opponent in the Metropolitan Division. On the other side, the over is 11-4 in the Penguins’ last 15 games against an opponent in the Pacific Division.
Canucks vs. Penguins Prediction: OVER 6.5