Tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings face off in a big matchup that could just set the tone for the rest of their seasons. The Penguins, reeling from a tough loss to Dallas, will be looking to make the most of their home ice, while the Red Wings are hungry to break out of an offensive slump.
With both teams struggling to find some sort of consistency, this game is ripe for betting. Fortunately, we’ve got the best bets and predictions for tonight’s matchup in Pittsburgh.
Game Time: Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 7:30 PM
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Betting Odds: Penguins -145, Red Wings +120; Over/Under: 6.5
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this game with their season already showing a few signs of typical wear and tear you’d expect with the older players.
After a demoralizing 7-1 loss to the Stars, the Penguins are 6-9-2 overall and facing defensive struggles as they sit 25th in the league.
Both of their goaltenders, Joel Blomqvist and Alex Nedeljkovic, have given up a few high-scoring nights, with a terrible average of 3.88 goals allowed per game.
However, the Penguins’ PK line is still strong, stopping opponents 83.7% of the time. This gives them a slight edge in neutralizing Detroit’s power play threats.
On offense, veterans Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin continue to lead the team with 16 and 18 points respectively. Crosby has scored in the Penguins’ last 4 home games against Atlantic Division opponents, and he’s been a big factor in their game tempo despite his age. Although the Penguins had recent difficulties, playing at home gives them a bit of an advantage, having won their last 3 games against Detroit at PPG Paints Arena.
Like the Penguins, the Detroit Red Wings are also looking for answers and needing to crank it up a notch.
After a rough 4-0 shutout loss to the Rangers, the Red Wings’ scoring woes are apparent so far, netting only 2 or fewer goals in 5 of their last 6 games.
Currently, Detroit averages only 2.43 goals per game which underscores their struggling offense despite captain Dylan Larkin and playmaker Lucas Raymond’s best efforts. It doesn’t help that Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane haven’t delivered the scoring boost Detroit expected. This leaves the Red Wings overly reliant on Larkin’s contributions and he can only do so much.
However, Detroit’s power play has been a welcomed bright spot, converting at 24.4% of the time. This puts them at a top-10 rate in the league.
Defensively, Detroit has yet to find any sort of consistency. They’ve allowed an average of 3.07 GPG. Their penalty kill has been somewhat of an issue as well as they’re stopping only 65% of opposing power plays — a vulnerability the Penguins will look to take advantage of.
Goaltender Cam Talbot has been their most reliable option between the pipes with a .926 save percentage, but his job isn’t easy with Detroit’s defense leaving him exposed.
The Penguins’ offense has more consistency compared to Detroit’s faltering scoring. Top that off with the advantage of home ice, and Pittsburgh has a solid chance to bounce back and notch a W.
Recent sports betting trends favor the Penguins — they have covered the puck line in 4 of their last 5 against Detroit and have a record of winning as home favorites. Beyond that, Crosby’s recent goal streak against Atlantic Division opponents as well as Erik Karlsson’s reliable point production make the Penguins the stronger offensive pick in this matchup.
The Penguins’ defense, though not what we’d consider dependable, has performed slightly better than Detroit’s. This is particularly apparent on the penalty kill. Detroit’s dismal performance in recent road games, combined with their current scoring slump, leans the odds towards Pittsburgh capitalizing on their weaknesses.
Both teams are coming off disappointing losses and both are looking for the right time to kick-start their seasons. However, with home advantage and a much better PK rate, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the better bet to grab a win on Wednesday night. We'll take the puck line on this game.
We expect the Penguins to edge out a determined, yet struggling, Detroit team that’s still trying to find its offensive groove.
BettorsInsider Prediction: Penguins win 5-2