Penguins vs. Panthers Pick
Will the Pittsburgh Penguins have any trouble winning on the road when they take on the Florida Panthers tonight at 7:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Penguins are favored on the road, as they are getting odds of -120 to win, while the Panthers are listed with a money line of +100 to win. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 6 goals. Tonight’s game takes place from the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
The Penguins are off to a 4-2-1 start following a 5-4 OT win over the Rangers a few days ago. Pittsburgh is 2-2 on the road this season. The Pens are averaging 3.57 goals per game while allowing 4.14 per contest. Sidney Crosby has four goals and five assists to lead the team while Patric Hornqvist and Conor Sheary each have three goals. Matt Murray is 4-0-1 in net this year with a 3.41 GAA and a .895 save percentage.
Florida is coming off a 5-1 loss at Philadelphia a few days ago, its second straight loss. The Panthers are now 2-3 on the season, but 2-0 at home. Florida is putting up 3.40 goals per game while allowing 4.00 per contest. The Panthers have balance throughout their scoring as three players have five points and five had four points. Jonathan Hurberdeau is leading the team with three goals. Roberto Luongo has a 3.41 GAA and .901 save percentage in three starts.
Neither team is getting great goaltending right now, but the Panthers are averaging five goals per game at home. While Pittsburgh has won four straight meetings, including a 4-3 win in Pittsburgh this week, I like the Panthers to stay strong at home. The Pens have been lit up on the road, allowing 5.25 goals per game. Pittsburgh isn’t getting great play in net and it can’t be trusted as a road favorite against a team that is unbeaten at home. The public is strongly behind the Penguins tonight, but I like the home team in an upset.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: FLORIDA PANTHERS +100