Penguins vs. Ducks Pick
Are the Anaheim Ducks going to secure a home win tonight as a small favorite versus the Pittsburgh Penguins? Game time is 10PM ET.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Ducks are a -115 favorite to win on the moneyline. The total is set at 5.5 goals.
Pittsburgh enters with a 24-19-2-1 record after a 5-2 victory Sunday over the Rangers. Anaheim is 20-16-4-5 following a 3-1 loss Monday at the Avalanche. The Ducks won the first meeting this season by a count of 4-0 in Pittsburgh on Dec. 23. The Penguins are 2-1 in three meetings since the start of last season. The over-under has gone 1-1-1.
In the win against New York, Sidney Crosby along with Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel all notched a goal and an assist to lead the way. Patric Hornqvist and Dominik Simon each scored a goal. Jamie Oleksiak dished out two assists. Tristan Jarry made 26 saves on 28 attempts to record the victory. The score was tied 2-2 before Kessel put the Penguins ahead with 5:30 left in the second period. Pittsburgh added two more insurance goals in the third.
Chris Wagner scored the lone goal for the Ducks in the loss at Colorado on assists from JT Brown and Josh Manson. Ryan Miller allowed three goals on 29 shots to take the loss. Wagner brought Anaheim within 2-1 with his goal in the second period, but the Avalanche moved it back to a two-goal game with 20 seconds left in the period and no one managed to score in the third.
Pittsburgh is 7-2 in the last nine meetings. The home team is 13-6 in the last 19 meetings. The Penguins are on a four-game winning streak.
Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray will be away from the team after the death of his father, so the rookie Jarry will be back in goal. He has been solid, but a rookie is capable of a lapse at any moment. Anaheim is strong defensively and won’t give up much, so Jarry needs to be on top of his game. I suspect he allows a few through. I’m going to fade the Penguins as they are only 9-12-1-1 on the road this season.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: ANAHEIM DUCKS -115