Penguins on a Heater
The Pittsburgh Penguins, winners of six straight, look to stay hot on Thursday against the Florida Panthers in Florida. Pittsburgh hasn’t lost a game since the end of November, and it took Carolina overtime to eke out a 3-2 win.
The Panthers are also coming off a win, but it was their first in the last three games. They must step it up at home to beat the streaking Penguins.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Penguins vs Panthers. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Penguins Winners of Six Straight
The Penguins are one of the hottest teams in the NHL over the last two weeks, with a six-game winning streak heading into Thursday.
From a strictly betting point of view, however, the Penguins are a below-average team on the puck line. The Pens cover at a rate of 44.8% at 13-16 ATS and -3.18 units. On the road, they are slightly better at 7-8 but still below .500.
The offense is the bread and butter of this Pittsburgh team, with a squad that ranks 8th in goals scored and 7th in shots per game. The Panthers take more shots on goal but don’t score nearly as much as the Penguins.
The Pens have scored four or more goals in five of their previous nine games, with veteran superstar Sidney Crosby leading the charge as he’s done for the last 17 seasons. Crosby has a team-leading 38 points and is tied for 7th in the NHL. Evgeni Malkin has 29 points.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Panthers Terrible Against the Spread
Florida may have snapped a two-game losing streak on Tuesday against the Blue Jackets and moved to 14-12-4, but their record against the puck line is far from pretty. At 10-20 ATS, the Panthers have the second-worst mark in the NHL behind the Nashville Predators.
With a win rate against the puck line of 33.3%, it’s hard to trust Florida to get the job done against a streaking Pittsburg side.
Pull back further, and the Panthers are just 4-11 in the previous 14 games straight up. So, betting on them to win or cover feels risky.
The Panthers have been heating up on offense on the plus side, with four or more goals scored in half of their previous ten games. Despite their recent record, Florida still ranks 10th in goals scored per game and leads the league in overall shots.
If those shots start to fall, watch out because this team could go on a tear. But, until then, Florida will continue to be let down by a 19th-ranked scoring defense and subpar goaltending.
Penguins vs Panthers Game Injuries
Penguins vs Panthers Head-to-Head
The teams have split the last four meetings and all were decided by one goal. The Panthers won six of the last 10 against Pittsburgh and seven were decided by a single goal.
Penguins vs Panthers Game Information
- Game: Penguins (17-8-4) vs Panthers (14-12-4)
- Location: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL
- Day/Time: Thursday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m. ET
- Penguins vs Panthers Live stream: NHL.TV
Penguins vs Panthers Betting Lines
Penguins vs Panthers Picks & Prediction
The Panthers may be home favorites here, but I don’t see sense in betting against a team as hot as the Penguins, especially when we’re getting underdog odds.
The Florida Panthers are listed at -120 on our Vegas NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Panthers, you can win $83. The Pittsburgh Penguins are +100, offering a chance to win $100 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Florida Panthers a 54.55% chance to win, with the Pittsburgh Penguins at 50.00%.
