Avalanche vs Penguins Best Bets Odds, and Prediction
The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Colorado Avalanche in a clash of two high-powered offenses. The Pens are coming off a 6-4 loss against the San Jose Sharks despite Evgeni Malkin’s two scores. The Avs beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 in their previous outing.
This matchup looks to be one of the best on the NHL schedule tonight. Both clubs are looking to climb in the NHL standings.
The Colorado Avalanche standings have them outside the Western Conference playoff picture. The Penguins look to leapfrog the Washington Capitals for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Let’s take a look at the Avalanche vs Penguins odds and betting picks!
Colorado Avalanche vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Matchup Information
Colorado Avalanche vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Location of the game: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA.
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at 7:00 PM EST.
Recent Scores for Last Game
Tonight’s matchup marks the first time the Penguins and Avalanche meet this season. The last meeting between these NHL teams was in April 2022. The Pens and Avs played a home-and-home series. The Avs took both Pittsburgh Penguins games.
In their first meeting, the Avs took a close game 3-2. The Avs’ Devon Toews scored his 13th of the season to seal the win. The Avs got goals from Mikko Rantanen and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The Penguins got goals from captain Sidney Crosby and Mike Matheson.
The teams met in Pittsburgh three nights later. The Avs took one of their best-played NHL games of the season 6-4. The Avs got two goals from their NHL player stats leader Nathan McKinnon.
The Pens’ Bryan Rust, Evan Rodrigues, Jake Guentzel, and Matheson found the back of the net. The Avs’ Artturi Lehkonen iced the game with an empty-netter at 19:07 in the third period.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Analysis
Avalanche at Risk of Missing Playoffs Due to Key Losses and Injuries
The Avalanche vs Penguins odds favor the road team in this matchup. The defending champion Avs have been mostly inconsistent this year. Nevertheless, the Pens have had their share of injuries causing them to fall behind in the standing.
The Avalanche’s 27-18-3 record is good for fourth in the Central Division. However, they trail the Calgary Flames by a point for the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The Avs risk missing the playoffs despite being the defending champions. Key injuries and player departures in the offseason have hurt the Avs this season.
Mikko Rantanen leads Colorado in scoring with 34 goals and 27 assists for 61 points. He’s been a bright spot in the absence of scoring leader Nathan McKinnon and team captain Gabriel Landeskog. However, the Avs have lacked secondary scoring. The departure of Nazem Kadri via free agency left the Avs with a significant hole in their second line.
Avs goaltender Alexander Georgiev has kept Colorado in the playoff hunt. His 20-11-3 record with a 2.60 goals-against average and .920 save percentage have provided Colorado with a solid netminder after losing Darcy Kuemper in the offseason. The Avs will need to play a solid all-around game to beat the Pens in this contest.
Penguins Struggle to Secure Playoff Spot Amid Inconsistent Play
The Penguins are 24-16-9 on the year. They sit fifth in the Metropolitan Division, trailing the Capitals by three points for fourth place. The Penguins are battling the New York Islanders for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins risk missing the playoffs unless they can play consistent hockey at both ends of the rink.
Crosby leads the Pens in scoring with 24 goals and 36 assists for 60 points. He’s played in all of Pittsburgh’s NHL games this season. A healthy Crosby is a great sign for the Pens, as they will need everyone to contribute as they look to stay in the playoff hunt.
Expect Pens backup Casey DeSmith to get the call against the Avs. DeSmith has been largely inconsistent sporting a 7-10-4 record with a 3.35 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. The Penguins will need DeSmith to shine if they expect to beat Colorado.
On the NHL injury report, the Avs list Valeri Nichushkin as day-to-day, while Bowen Byram, Gabriel Landeskog, and Josh Manson are on injured reserve. Pittsburgh shows starting goaltender Tristan Jarry as day-to-day, while Jan Rutta, Josh Archibald, and Kasperi Kapanen are on injured reserve.
Odds Breakdown
Pittsburgh Penguins
Moneyline: -112
Spread: -1.5 (+202)
Over/under: 6.5 (-110)
Colorado Avalanche
Moneyline: -107
Spread: +1.5 (-252)
Over/under: 6.5 (-110)
Avalanche vs. Penguins Betting Pick and Prediction
The Avalanche vs Penguins odds favor the Avalanche over the Penguins. The Penguins have lost four of their last five contests, while Colorado has won four of their last five matchups. Also, the NHL odds for this matchup suggest a tight-checking game.
Pick 1: Colorado over the Penguins.
NHL expert picks show Colorado is playing much better. They’ll ride that momentum to beat Pittsburgh.
Pick 2: Take the under as the Avalanche win 3-2.
The final score will be one of the closest NHL picks on the night.
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