Two of the league’s best at finding the net on the power play, the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins clash at PPG Paints Arena in a Metro Division matchup. The opening face-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 5, and it’ll be showcased live on NBC Sports Network.
New York Rangers at Pittsburgh Penguins Odds
With a -150 moneyline, Pittsburgh comes into the game as the substantial favorite. The line for New York sits at +130, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -110 money on the over and -110 for the under.
Producing 1.1 units for moneyline bettors, the Penguins are 15-13 straight up (SU) overall this year. That early-season winning percentage is a regression from the 50-32 record that the team managed during the 2016-17 season campaign. Through 28 regular season outings, 15 of the team’s games have gone over the total, while 12 have gone under and just one has pushed. The team is 9-3 SU at home this season.
Pittsburgh’s converted on 25.5 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s good enough for fifth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 21st overall, and it’s successfully killed off 78.4 percent of all penalties.
As a team, Pittsburgh has been penalized 4.8 times per game overall this season, 4.4 per game over its last five outings total, and 4.8 per game over its last five at home. The team’s had to kill penalties for 10.6 minutes per game over its last five home outings.
With a .906 save percentage and 26.6 saves per game, Matt Murray (12 wins, nine losses, and one OT loss) has been the top option in goal for the Penguins this year. If head coach Mike Sullivan decides to give him a rest, however, the Pens may turn to Tristan Jarry (4-2-2 record, .937 save percentage, 1.99 goals against average).
Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby will both be focal points for the Penguins. Kessel (33 points) is up to 12 goals and 21 assists and has recorded multiple points on eight separate occasions this year. Crosby has 12 goals and 17 assists to his name and has notched a point in 17 contests.
Over on the other bench, New York is 14-12 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.6 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. A total of 15 of its matches have gone over the total, while nine have gone under and just two have pushed. As a road team so far, New York is 3-5 SU.
New York has converted on 22.0 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s good enough for eighth-best in the league. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 16th overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.0 percent of all opponent power plays.
New York’s skaters have been penalized 3.7 times per game in total this season, and 3.0 per game over their last five match ups. The team’s had to stave off opponent power plays just 7.7 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Henrik Lundqvist (.917 save percentage and 2.66 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for New York. Lundqvist is averaging 27.3 saves per game and owns a 13-10-2 record.
Leading the offensive attack for the visiting Rangers will be Mika Zibanejad (11 goals, 11 assists) and Mats Zuccarello (four goals, 16 assists).
New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Penguins, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Trends
The over has hit in three of Pittsburgh’s last five outings.
New York has managed 34.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Pittsburgh has been attempting 39.2 shots per game over its last five at home.
Pittsburgh has averaged 3.0 goals per game overall this season, but has raised that figure up to 4.8 per contest over its four-game win streak.
Over New York’s last ten games, seven of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 5-2 in those games).
The Pens this season have recorded the eighth-most hits per game (23.6), but the team’s averaged 27.6 over their past five games as the home team.
