Hurricanes Hope for Repeat
The Carolina Hurricanes are arguably the hottest team in the league right now, winning six straight games and 10 of their last 11. Included in this stretch was a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team they’re set to face again.
The Penguins are cooking too as they’ve won eight out of their last nine, with that sole shortcoming being that aforementioned loss to the Hurricanes.
Can the Penguins get revenge and cash on the NHL betting odds? Let’s take a look at the matchup for those who bet online.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Hurricanes vs Penguins. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Hurricanes’ Confidence Sky High
Winning 10 out of their last 11 has the Hurricanes flying high coming into this game. Much of their success can be attributed to the excellent goaltending of Pyotr Kochetkov.
The team was stumbling with veterans Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen, but Kochetkov came in and secured the back end.
Since getting more playing time after the Andersen injury, Kochetkov has been phenomenal. Just in the month of December, Kochetkov is 7-0-0 with a strong 1.63 goals-against and a .939 save percentage. It’s hard to find a goaltender on a better stretch.
With Kochetkov helping their surge, Carolina is ranked fourth in goals per game. If you’re making your NHL picks, note that the Hurricanes do a great job of protecting him. Carolina allows the fewest shots in the league.
Penguins Looking for Revenge
Pittsburgh is hoping to get its revenge on Carolina but to get the job done, the Penguins have to make this an offense-oriented showdown. A trio of skaters lead their offense and they’ll have to perform better in the rematch.
Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby has scored 42 points in just 32 games and he’s gotten tremendous help from his fellow center and winger. Evgeni Malkin has racked up 33 points while Jake Guentzel is sitting at 32 in just 28 games.
The challenge is that this trio had just one point in the meeting with Carolina on Sunday. They’ll have to work on puck possession and do a better job of manufacturing opportunities.
Hurricanes vs Penguins Game Injuries
Hurricanes vs Penguins Head-to-Head
These two squads have met up once this season already, with Carolina winning each of those contests 3-2.
Hurricanes vs Penguins Game Information
- Game: Carolina (20-6-6) vs Pittsburgh (19-9-4)
- Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
- Day/Time: Thursday, Dec. 22, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Hurricanes vs Penguins Live Stream: NHL.TV
Hurricanes vs Penguins Betting Lines
Hurricanes vs Penguins Picks & Prediction
Pittsburgh is the favorite in the sportsbook but there might be value in the dog. After all, Carolina has won both of the season matchups with Pittsburgh already and is equally as hot.
Carolina has the goaltending and defense needed to wipe out the production of the Penguins’ top three skaters. And defense often gets the better of good offense nowadays.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at -125 in our Vegas NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Pittsburgh Penguins, you have a chance to win $80. The Carolina Hurricanes are +105, offering a chance to win $105 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Penguins a 55.56% chance to win, with the Hurricanes at 48.78%.
