The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to continue holding onto a wild card position in the Eastern Conference when they welcome the Ottawa Senators tonight.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Ottawa Senators (+136) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-164) Total: 6.5 (O-134, U+110)There hasn’t been much to write home about for the Ottawa Senators or Pittsburgh Penguins of late. The Pens are still clinging to the second wild card spot in the East, but the Florida Panthers are charging right on their tails. Pittsburgh has lost three straight games in convincing fashion and sits at 5-4-1 over their past ten games, while the Senators haven’t been making moves in the standings either, at 4-5-1 over that same sample size.
The Penguins are listed as home favorites tonight on the moneyline at -164, while the Sens are priced at +136. This will be the third and final meeting between these clubs, which has already seen the Sens pick up a 5-4 victory, followed by the Penguins winning a 4-1 contest.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Sens are expected to continue riding Mads Sogaard, while the Penguins should do the same with Tristan Jarry. The Senators’ young netminder has posted a 5-4-2 record, paired with a .881 save percentage, while Jarry is sitting at 20-9-6, along with a .907 save percentage. Jarry should have the edge in net tonight, and that’s just another reason to appreciate what the Pens are offering on this slate.
Ottawa had a chance to make a run in the second half of the regular season, but they appear to have run out of gas. They’ve made some strides, but the Pens are still in win-now mode and really need this victory tonight to hold serve in the wild card race. As a result, targeting their moneyline price of -164 is the direction bettors should lean.
Best Bet: Penguins moneyline (-164)
The first two matchups in this season series have seen nine and five goals scored. The total for tonight’s set at 6.5, with the over juiced up to -134, while the under is at +110. Both teams are sitting pretty much inside the middle of the pack regarding goals scored and allowed per game. Over the Senators’ past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored four times, while the Penguins have seen that transpire just once. Still, goals shouldn’t be hard to come by in this matchup, and there’s some value present here in backing the over 6.5 at -134.
Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-134)
Despite the Penguins fighting for their playoff lives, there’s still a lot to like about some of their offensive players. One player that’s continued to score at a high clip has been Jake Guentzel, who leads the team with four goals and six points over their past five games. Guentzel has also managed to tally 30 goals in 65 games on the campaign. The Penguins winger is a valuable part of the team’s offense, and there’s a lot to like about his price tonight to score. Guentzel is listed at +118 to find the back of the net, and there’s value in backing that number.
Best Prop: Jake Guentzel to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+118)
