Panthers Have Had Serious Trouble vs the Penguins on the Road
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a little trouble getting their feet off the ground this season without their captain, but things are looking up with Sidney Crosby now cleared to participate in practice. The Penguins have the worst goals-for percentage in the league right now so they could be in tough tonight against a Panthers team that’s second-best in that metric.
Although it’s not confirmed, it looks as though the Penguins are going to keep riding Marc-Andre Fleury. He’s started all six games for Pittsburgh this season and backup Mike Condon hasn’t gotten a sniff of the starting crease. Fleury (3-2-1, .904 SV %) has played decently this year but the defense in front of him has not. Pittsburgh has given up the fourth-most shots against per 60 minutes and the former first overall pick is beyond his days of standing on his head.
James Reimer will start in net for the Panthers and that does not inspire a ton of confidence in a Panthers team that has struggled so mightily to beat the Penguins on the road. Reim-Time was an excellent backup behind Martin Jones last season but allowed three goals on just 28 shots in his only start so far this year.
The trends are pointing toward the OVER in this one as 11 of the Penguins’ last 15 games against the Atlantic Division have gone OVER and four of the Panthers’ last five games against the Metropolitan Division have gone OVER.
Florida Panthers vs Pittsburgh Penguins Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Florida Panthers will try to spoil to the party on Tuesday; they are 3-1-1 this season, while the Penguins are 3-2-1. Florida is 3-1-1 on the totals; Pittsburgh is 2-2-2. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Pittsburgh vs Florida injuries news.
This game puts the Pittsburgh Penguins, most recently No. 1 in the Odds Shark NHL Power Rankings, up against the Florida Panthers, who rate a No. 2 in the latest survey.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Pittsburgh Penguins No. 29-ranked offense (2.17 goals per game) against a Florida Panthers defense that ranks No. 5 at 2.4 goals per game allowed. The Penguins Sportsbook has clicked at a 20% rate while the Panthers have a 90.91% rate on the penalty kill.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Florida was a 5-2 Sportsbook in its last match at home against the Avalanche. They won as favorites, while the total score of 7 made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors.
The Penguins were a 5-1 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Predators. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Nashville at +113 on the moneyline, while the total score (6) was good news for OVER bettors.
Next Betting Matchups
Florida at Toronto, Thursday, October 27th
Pittsburgh home to New York, Thursday, October 27th