Two clubs squaring off for the first time this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings collide at Little Caesars Arena for an Eastern Conference matchup. The action will get going at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31 and it can be seen live on Fox Sports Detroit.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings Odds
Pittsburgh (-135) is currently favored over Detroit (+115), and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
Pittsburgh is 19-20 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.7 units for moneyline bettors this year. 20 of its outings have gone over the total, while 17 have gone under and just two have pushed. As the road team in 2017-18, the Pens are 7-13 SU.
Pittsburgh has converted on 24.8 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that places them in the top-5 among NHL teams. Its penalty kill is ranked 16th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 80.9 percent of all penalties.
For the team as a whole, Pittsburgh has been called for penalties 4.4 times per game this season, and 3.2 per game over its last five road outings. The team has had to defend opponent power plays just 7.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 25.9 saves per game with a .904 save percentage, Matt Murray (15-12-1) has been the top option in goal for Pittsburgh this season. If Pittsburgh decides to rest him, however, the team may go with Tristan Jarry (5-7-2), who has a .921 save percentage and 2.40 goals against average this year.
Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin will both lead the way for the visiting Penguins. Kessel has 41 points on 16 goals and 25 assists, and has recorded multiple points in nine different games. Malkin has 13 goals and 22 assists to his name, and has notched at least one point in 24 games.
On the other bench, Detroit is 14-23 straight up (SU) and has lost 8.8 units for moneyline bettors thus far. 19 of its contests have gone under the total, while 18 have gone over and none have pushed. The team’s 7-12 SU at home this season.
Detroit has converted on 20.3 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 14th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.3 percent of all penalties.
Detroit skaters have been called for penalties 4.0 times per game in total this season, and 2.6 per game over their past five games. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays just 7.7 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Jimmy Howard has stopped 25.8 shots per game as the primary choice in goal for Detroit. Howard has 11 wins, 20 losses, and six overtime losses to his credit and has recorded a .910 save percentage and 2.78 goals against average this year.
The Wings will be led on offense by Dylan Larkin (five goals, 26 assists).
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Red Wings, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Trends
The total has gone under in three of Detroit’s last five outings.
Pittsburgh’s attempted 34.8 shots per game overall this season (the second-most in the NHL), and 28.6 in its last five road games.
The Red Wings are 4-9 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 8-17 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes.
Pittsburgh is 2-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Detroit is 3-1 in shootouts.
Detroit skaters have created 4.2 takeaways per game over its last five home games, a drop-off from its season average of 6.4 takeaways per game (ranked 21st in the NHL).
Pittsburgh has created 6.2 takeaways per game over its last five road games, right in line with its season average of 6.3 takeaways per game (ranked 24th in the league).
