With almost three-quarters of the NHL regular season already in the books, time is running out for the teams who are currently sitting below the playoff line in their respective conferences. The battle for playoff spots is incredibly tight right now and only seems to be getting more so with each passing week. There are a few surprise teams sitting down near the playoff line, including a team that has won more than their fair share of Stanley Cups over the past few years.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are the team in question here, and their inability to maintain a consistent run of positive form is seeing them slide ever closer to the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. While they are still in a playoff spot, the chasing pack is starting to close in. The Philadelphia Flyers are among that chasing group, and while they have some work to do to get into the postseason, they could certainly help their cause by beating the Penguins on Monday night. Pittsburgh is favored by a goal and a half, with the O/U set at 6 ½.
Penguins vs Flyers NHL Week 20 Odds & Game Info
Coach Sullivan: “I believe we have a good team. I believe that when we play the game the right way, we are competitive. Are we where we want to be? No. Our expectations are much higher and so we’ve got to find a way to win games here…”
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) 11 de febrero de 2019
- When: Monday, February 11 at 7 PM EST
- Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
- TV: NBCSN
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Week 20 Odds: Pittsburgh Penguins -130 (Total 6.5)
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins?
A little over a week ago, the Penguins were second in the division and just 2 points back of the New York Islanders, but they have now lost 4 in a row and dropped all the way down to the #4 spot in the Metropolitan Division. That puts Pittsburgh in the Wild Card in the Eastern Conference, although just a single point up on the Carolina Hurricanes for that final playoff spot.
If Pittsburgh can take any solace in their current position, it’s that the Metropolitan Division is incredibly tight, with just 4 points separating second from fourth. Pittsburgh will head into Philly sporting a 13-10-5 road record, although they are also just 7-7-1 overall versus divisional opponents. Pittsburgh has won 4 of the last 5 versus Philly, but they went down 4-2 at home in their first meeting of this season.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.44
- Shots: 32.53
- PP/PK Percentage: 23.53
Defense
- Goals: 3.13
- Shots: 32.96
- PP/PK Percentage: 18.00
Why bet on the Philadelphia Flyers?
The Flyers looked like a lost cause a few weeks ago, but an incredible run of form has seen them move to within 6 points of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Philly has gone a stellar 9-0-1 in their last 10 games, with their defense carrying a whole lot of the load during that run. The Flyers gave up 2.20 GPG during that 10-game streak, a full goal better than their 3.29 GPG average over the course of the entire season.
Philly comes into this one sporting a 14-10-4 record on home ice this year, but where they are going to need to improve is in games versus divisional foes, where they are just 5-8-1 on the season. If they can improve on that record, they might just get back into the playoff picture.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.93
- Shots: 31.35
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.46
- Goals: 3.31
- Shots: 31.29
- PP/PK Percentage: 23.81
Penguins vs Flyers NHL Week 20 Betting Trends
- Pittsburgh is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
- Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games
- Philadelphia is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
- Philadelphia is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia’s last 7 games
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
These are two teams heading in very different directions at the moment. I am having a hard time betting against the Flyers given how strong they have looked over the last few weeks. I am on them to win in their own building on Monday night.
Score: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 – Philadelphia Flyers 5
