NHL Odds: Penguins-Avalanche prediction, odds, and pick

Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche are playing each other in the NHL. Pittsburgh is the current third in Metropolitan Division and is looking to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Colorado is currently the league's points leader and has a 27-4-3 record at Ball Arena. The Avs are coming off a victory against San Jose. This is a first meeting between the teams since the 2019-2020 season. They will play again on April 5th in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins are 22-8-5 on the road this season. Pittsburgh is going for a Stanley Cup this year. The team is led by future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby's 71 points. The Penguins have the fourth-most points in the Eastern Conference. Colorado is the seventh-best team in terms of shots on goal. Avalanche is also the best team at defending in their own zone.

The Avalanche are looking to cover the spread against the Penguins. The Avs are the most complete team in the NHL. They are also the best team on the defense, giving up 2.42 goals per game since the All-Star break. Center Nathan MacKinnon is back in action after a one-game absence. Goalkeeper Darcy Kuemper needs to be on his A- game to keep the Av's in it. He has a .940 save percentage since All Star break, the third-best in NHL with at least one start.

The Penguins and Avalanche are playing an important game with less than a month to go in the regular season. The game is going to be close and could be a preview of the Stanley Cup Finals.