NHL Best Bets: Penguins vs. Avalanche Game Picks

Two teams fighting for playoff positioning in their respective conferences will collide tonight, with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

The Penguins and Avs are in very different positions. The Avalanche were hovering around the playoff cut line for the longest time, but they’ve played well in the second half, establishing themselves in a top-three spot in the Central Division. The opposite was mostly true for the Pens, who had a solid first half, but now sit on the outside of the playoff picture heading into action tonight. 

Pittsburgh has lost four straight, and that losing streak couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Pens have a 4-5-1 record over their last ten games, while the Avs have won six straight, going 7-2-1.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Pens should ride Tristan Jarry, while the Avs are expected to go with Alexandar Georgiev. The Pens starting netminder has a 20-10-6 record with a .907 save percentage, while Georgiev is 32-14-5 with a .920 save percentage. Give the Avs the advantage between the pipes tonight. 

Pittsburgh is struggling, heading into one of the most challenging environments in the NHL. Targeting the home side to continue their winning streak has some value on the moneyline and is worth considering at -166. 

Best Bet: Avalanche moneyline (-166) 

The first matchup between these clubs saw them combine for three goals. Tonight’s total is set at 6.5, with the over and under sitting at -110. The Pens have middle-of-the-pack underlying numbers, while the Avalanche have been strong defensively. Over the Pens’ last five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in just one, while the Avs have seen that in two. With recent trends and their first matchup total, targeting the under 6.5 has some value worth targeting tonight at -110. 

Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-110) 

There’s a lot of offensively gifted talent in this game. The Avs are better than their overall numbers suggest, and one player that’s had a superstar season is Mikko Rantanen. The Finnish star leads the team with five goals over their last five games and has 85 points in 69 games. Rantanen has the playmaking and goal-scoring ability to make a difference. At -115, look for Rantanen to find the back of the net tonight.

Best Prop: Mikko Rantanen to Record Over 0.5 Goals (-115)

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