There is little time to sit back and reflect on the fun and festivities of the All-Star Game, as the NHL is back in action a little more than 24 hours later. It was the team from the Metropolitan Division that came up trumps in the All-Sta weekend, with the Pittsburgh Penguins ace Sidney Crosby picking up the MVP Award with 4 goals and 4 assists throughout the tournament. Crosby will be back in business on Monday night, as his Pittsburgh Penguins squad will be one of just four teams set to go on the first day back.
The fun needs to be set aside, as we are now back to the serious business of trying to book one of the available spots in the playoffs. The second half of the season is where things very often change quite dramatically, so look for the Penguins to make a late-season push that might take them to the top of the Metropolitan Division. They will get their second half started as a 1 ½ goal favorite against the cellar-dwelling New Jersey Devils. The goal total for this one is set at 6 ½.
Devils at Penguins NHL Betting Odds & Game Info
#NJDevils news:
The club has activated F @MilesWood44 off injured reserve. He is available for tonight’s game at Pittsburgh. #NJDvsPIT pic.twitter.com/w551IDcD3G — New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) 28 de enero de 2019
- When: Monday, January 28 at 7 PM EST
- Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
- TV: NHL Center Ice
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Odds: Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (Total 6.5)
Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – January 28th Edition
Why bet on the New Jersey Devils?
Barring some sort of major miracle, the New Jersey Devils are not going to get anywhere near the playoffs this season. They are sitting dead last in the Metropolitan Division with just 43 points, a total that is tied for worst in the league. The Devils have just 18 wins on the season and are a rather miserable 5-17-3 on the road.
They come into the second half of the season on a 3-game losing skid, winning just 3 of their last 10 games, all of which suggests that they might be sellers at the trade deadline. If there is a positive to be found here, it’s that New Jersey has proven to be a bit of a bogey team for the Penguins. The Devils have won both meetings this season and are winners of 5 of their last 6 against Pittsburgh.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.92
- Shots: 32.40
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.65
Defense
- Goals: 3.42
- Shots: 31.23
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.69
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins?
While the Penguins are currently occupying the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, it is worth noting that they could very quickly move up out of there with a positive run of form. As it stands right now, they are in 4th place in the Metropolitan Division, just 5 points off the pace being set by the New York Islanders.
With a win in this one, the Penguins could potentially move all the way up to the #2 spot in the division, so certainly all to play for here. The Penguins are a respectable 13-8-2 on home ice this season and have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games overall. Pittsburgh will need to improve on their 7-5-1 record versus division opponents if they want to make a serious challenge in the Metropolitan.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.52
- Shots: 32.73
- PP/PK Percentage: 25.74
Defense
- Goals: 3.04
- Shots: 32.58
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.79
Devils at Penguins NHL Betting Trends
- New Jersey is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
- New Jersey is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey’s last 5 games on the road
- Pittsburgh is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
- Pittsburgh is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 games
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Devils at Penguins
While the Penguins have struggled versus New Jersey over the past couple of seasons, I think they do enough to come away with the win here. The last 2 meetings have averaged 6 GPG, so let’s also take the UNDER.
Score: New Jersey Devils 2 – Pittsburgh Penguins 4
