One of the easiest ways to lose money when wagering is to play low odds games where one team is a huge favorite over the other. These matchups always seem like a bit of a slam dunk, and while they might not add a lot of money to the bankroll, many bettors view it as easy money. The problem here, though, is that we all too often see these games go the way of the underdog, especially in sports where the seasons are long, and we have a lot of games on the schedule.
The NHL falls into that category, with each team needing to play 82 games over the course of the season. It goes without saying that there are going to be plenty of off nights in there, which means losing to teams that should easily be beaten. We have a total mismatch set to go on Friday night, with the Pittsburgh Penguins hitting the road to face the Detroit Red Wings. For the Penguins, this will be their second game in as many nights. The Penguins are favored by 1 ½ on the road, with the goal total set at 6.
Penguins vs Red Wings NHL Betting Spread & Analysis
- When: Friday, January 17 at 7:30 PM EST
- Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
- TV: RSN
- NHL Odds: Penguins -1.5 (Total 6)
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins?
The Penguins have had a busy schedule of late and it seemed to catch up with them last night with a 4-1 loss on the road to the Boston Bruins. They don’t really have time to think about that too much, which might be a good thing, as it’s back into action tonight. That loss aside, the Penguins have been good in recent weeks, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.That run takes their overall record to 29-13-5, which has them in second place in the Metropolitan Division, 6 points back of the pace being set by the Capitals at the top of the division. With their loss to the Bruins, the Penguins fell to 12-8-2 on the road this season, but they are 5-1 SU in their last 6 road games.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.45
- Shots: 32.81
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.40
Defense
- Goals: 2.74
- Shots: 29.68
- PP/PK Percentage: 18.40
Why bet on the Detroit Red Wings?
At this stage of the season, the only thing that the Detroit Red Wings have left to play for is the worst record in the NHL and a shot at the #1 pick in the draft. It would appear that they are well on their way to achieving that, as they are just 12-32-3 on the season. They come into this one on the heels of a 2-game losing streak that has seen them fall to 3-7-0 in their last 10 games.
One of the biggest issues for the Red Wings this season is that they have been unable to generate any sort of meaningful offense, managing just 102 goals through their first 47 games. Home ice has not been much of an advantage for Detroit this season, as they are just 8-15-1 in their own building, as well as being just 9-15 ATS in those games.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.17
- Shots: 28.06
- PP/PK Percentage: 14.97
Defense
- Goals: 3.89
- Shots: 32.11
- PP/PK Percentage: 26.57
Penguins vs Red Wings NHL Betting Trends
- Penguins are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games against an opponent in the East conference
- Red Wings are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games this season
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit’s last 9 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Penguins vs Red Wings
The Pittsburgh Penguins already have a win over Detroit this season, beating them 5-3 in a game that was played in Detroit. I think we will see more of the same in this one.Score: Pittsburgh Penguins 5 – Detroit Red Wings 2
