Red Wings vs Penguins Prediction, Odds and Picks Dec 28

Penguins Coming Off Shellacking

The Detroit Red Wings are coming off a win but they have still lost six of their last seven. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost three out of their last four.

Both squads played on Tuesday and are now set for a quick turnaround on Wednesday. Which of these two is the better option versus the NHL betting odds?

Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Red Wings vs Penguins. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.

Detroit Can’t Stay Consistent This Season

The Red Wings have been unable to stay consistent throughout, which is why they keep slipping back down to .500. While they are 14-11-7 overall, that’s essentially 14-18 to those who bet online, which isn’t very good.

They scored seven goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning in their last game, which was a great showing, but they still rank 22nd in the league in goals per game. Last night was more so an aberration.

They are even worse when it comes to just ripping shots off, as they have taken the 28th most in the NHL. That’s why their offense is laboring.

These are not good enough numbers for how average their defense has been. Ville Husso has been their strongest goaltender with a record of 12-6-5, a 2.72 goals-against average, and a .912 save percentage.

However, they don’t want him to keep more stress on his shoulders than he needs. If the Red Wings can’t produce offensively, they could be dead in the water against a dangerous Pittsburgh squad.

Penguins Offense is Great

While the Red Wings are fourth in the Atlantic Division, the Pittsburgh Penguins are fourth in the Metropolitan. They have 43 points, though, while the Red Wings have just 35.

The offense is a big difference between the squads as the Red Wings are just one of four Eastern Conference teams that’s scored under 100 goals while the Pens have tallied 115.

Sidney Crosby leads the way with 43 points, tied for seventh in the entire league. He’s gotten a tremendous boost out of his teammates Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel.

Malkin and Guentzel have 33 points each. With these three expected to hit the ice against Detroit, they remain a scary tough team.

Defensively, though, they are allowing too many opportunities for opposing teams. If it wasn’t for Tristan Jarry’s excellence in the net, they could be in a far worse situation than they are right now.

This defense ranks 27th in shots against per game, but Jarry is 15-4-4 with a 2.77 GAA and a .918 save percentage.

Red Wings vs Penguins Game Injuries

Red Wings vs Penguins Head-to-Head

These teams met up three times a year ago. Detroit won the first matchup then lost the next two by a combined score of 18-4.

Red Wings vs Penguins Game Information

• Game: Red Wings (14-11-7) Penguins (19-10-5)
• Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
• Day/Time: Wednesday, Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Red Wings vs Penguins Live stream:NHL.TV

Red Wings vs Penguins Betting Lines

Red Wings vs Penguins Picks & Prediction

Both of these teams haven’t been playing their best hockey as of late. However, Pittsburgh is the better choice for your NHL picks here.

The Red Wings aren’t the greatest defense in the world and don’t have a good enough offense to take advantage of Jarry in net.

Husso might be able to keep them in this game, but at some point, their skaters will get on the board and take control. Roll with the favored Penguins in the sportsbook.

Pittsburgh is listed at -205 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Penguins, you have a chance to win $49. Detroit is +175, offering a chance to win $175 on a $100 wager.

The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Penguins a 67.21% chance to win, with the Red Wings at 36.36%.