Penguins prediction, pick, how to watch
The Pittsburgh Penguins hope to keep their playoff chances alive as they host the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Blackhawks-Penguins prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Penguins just saw their star, Sidney Crosby, become the 15th player ever to score 1,500 career points. He did that in the Penguins’ 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, which put them in the good position they are now. Following the Islanders’ loss last night to the Capitals, the Penguins now control their playoff destiny. Hoping to play spoiler is the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks have lost 11 of their last 12, but the one win was against a Calgary team who needed the victory for their playoff chances.
Here are the Blackhawks-Penguins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Blackhawks-Penguins Odds
Chicago Blackhawks: +1.5 (+155)
Pittsburgh Penguins: -1.5 (-188)
Over: 6.5 (-105)
Under: 6.5 (-115)
How To Watch Blackhawks vs. Penguins
TV: ATTSN-PT/NBCSCH
Stream: NHLPP/ESPN+
Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Blackhawks Could Cover The Spread
Jonathan Toews is back in the lineup, playing in the last five games after missing all of February and March, but it seems like he has checked out a little on the season. Toews believes he is playing his last two games in Chicago, and it remained to be seen if that will invigorate him. The Blackhawks will also be without their best goal scorer, Taylor Raddysh, for the rest of the year. That is bad news for a team that cannot score. In their last 12 games, they are averaging just 1.83 goals per game, and have been shut out twice.
Goal scoring will have to come from somewhere, and maybe Toews in the answer, but he has yet to score a goal since coming back. Andreas Athanasiou is the leading goal scorer among active players on the Blackhawks and has been producing as of late. In his five games in March, he has a point in four of them, grabbing three goals and four assists. That mean’s nearly 20% of his total season points have come in the last five games.
Peter Mrazek is expected to get the start for the Blackhawks tonight. He is the owner of the most recent win for Chicago, saving 33 of 36 in a 4-3 win over Calgary. In his other start since then, he had a save percentage of .774, letting in seven goals on 31 shots. Mrazek has been wildly inconsistent. He saved all 16 shots he faced against Boston but then saved just under 86% of them in a loss to St. Louis. If he is on tonight, Chicago has a chance, if they can score a few goals.
Why The Penguins Could Cover The Spread
The Penguins need this win. The win will put them a point ahead of the Islanders going into the last game of the season. They lost all four to the Islanders this year, so they must be ahead of them or will lose the spot on the tie-break. They have two winnable games though, facing Chicago and Columbus to close out the year. The Penguins have a solid offense, averaging 3.21 goals per game, and have scored nine goals in just the last two games. Crosby is going the normal Crosby things. He has 91 points on the season and has six in his five games in April. He is averaging .95 points per game since March 1st.
Malkin is stepping up as well. He is averaging 1.00 points per game since March 1st and has 17 assists in that time frame. He is also averaging nearly three shots on goal per contest, and setting up the offense nicely. If Jake Guentzel can return to the form he has missed in his last four games, the Penguins will be just fine. He has not scored a goal in the last four, which is his longest streak in a month. In the 16 games prior, he scored 11 goals, while adding five assists.
Starting in the net tonight will be Tristan Jarry. Jarry is coming off two solid starts in a row. He has let in just one goal in each of the starts and has had a save percentage of over .950 in both of them. If he plays like this again, Pittsburgh will be in a situation to beat Columbus and advance to the playoffs.
Final Blackhawks-Penguins Prediction & Pick
Pittsburgh has so much more to play for. If they lose tonight, they lose control of their season. They cannot even afford the loss in overtime due to their record against the Islanders. The Blackhawks are playing with an AHL squad right now. Their top three-point scorers on the season are either no longer with the team or injured. Even if their top guy was there, Maxi Domi is tied for 100th in the NHL in points. They have no one in the top 150-point scorers in the NHL currently active. The Blackhawks will struggle to score again tonight, and Pittsburgh gets a win.
Final Blackhawks-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Penguins -1.5 (-188)
