Blackhawks vs. Penguins Pick
Two of hockey’s most stories franchises meet up tonight when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Chicago Blackhawks at 7PM ET.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Pittsburgh is favored at home, as the Penguins are getting odds of -145 to win. The Blackhawks are listed with a money line of +135 to win, while the over/under total for the contest has been set at 6 goals. Tonight’s game takes place from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Blackhawks are coming off a 6-3 win over the Rangers on Wednesday. It was their second victory in three games. Chicago is 9-8-2 overall and 4-4-1 on the road. Chicago is averaging 3.11 goals per game this season while allowing 2.74 per contest. Artem Anisimov has nine goals and two assists to lead the Blackhawks this season while Patrick Kane has six goals with 12 assists. The team could be without Duncan Keith tonight, as he is battling an illness. Corey Crawford is 8-7 in net this season with a 2.26 GAA and a .930 save percentage.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 3-1 win at Ottawa on Thursday for its second straight win. The Penguins are now 11-7-3 on the season and 6-0-1 at home. The Penguins are putting up 2.76 goals per game today while allowing 3.43 per contest. Phil Kessel is leading the team with eight goals and 16 assists while Evgeni Malkin has seven goals and 14 assists. Matt Murray is 11-4-1 in net this season with a 2.85 GAA and a .906 save percentage.
Bet on Blackhawks vs. Penguins
Chicago has owned Pittsburgh in recent history, as the Blackhawks have won seven straight meetings in this series. That includes a 10-1 win at Chicago on Oct. 5. However, Pittsburgh has been tough to beat at home. The Pens are 40-11 in their last 51 at home and 43-12 in their last 55 at home against a team with a losing record on the road. Chicago is just 4-10 in its last 14 on the road and 3-9 in their last 12 against a team with a winning record. The public betting is going with Pittsburgh tonight at home and I think the Pens snap their streak against Chicago as well.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS -145