Looking to win big? The Penguins and Avalanche face off at 2:00 ET on TNT. The Avalanche are hosting the game at Ball Arena in Denver, CO. The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Avalanche as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS COLORADO AVALANCHE BETTING PICK

The Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5

This game will be played at Ball Arena at 2:00 ET on Sunday, March 24th.

WHY BET THE COLORADO AVALANCHE:

  • In spite of being 1.5 goal underdogs, we anticipate the Penguins winning this one 4-3.
  • We like the Penguins on the moneyline (+193)
  • The Penguins are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Can the Penguins Pull Off a Win at Denver?

Heading into tonight’s game, the Penguins are 13th in the Eastern Conference and 7th in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 30-30-9. On the road, Pittsburgh is 12-17-5 this season and have dropped their last two games away from home.

Against other Eastern Conference teams, the Penguins have gone 16-23 this season. As the underdog, Pittsburgh has lost eight straight games and have a record of 9-15-3 when not favored.

On the road this season, the Penguins have a puck line record of 15-19 and their average scoring margin is -.4 goals per game. So far, Pittsburgh has gone 31-38 against the puck line, including 21 multiple-goal losses.

As the underdog, the Penguins have a puck line record of 14-13, and their average scoring differential in those games is -1 goal per contest. In their last ten games, Pittsburgh’s puck line record is just 3-7.

The average goal total for Pittsburgh’s games is sitting at 5.9. The average over/under line for the season is 6.3. The Penguins come in with an over/under record of 28-36-5.

Although Pittsburgh has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 0-3. The team averaged 1 goals per game in these games.

When looking at their offense, the Penguins have an average of 2.9 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 26th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 6th in the league. This season, the Penguins are 19-18 when getting more shots on goal than their opponents. And in games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 10-11 record.

Pittsburgh’s leading goal scorer is Sidney Crosby. So far this season, he has 33 goals, placing him 17th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Crosby has 36 assists this season.

In terms of defense, the Avalanche head into the game ranked 22nd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.3 shots per game against Colorado. So far, they are 15th in shutouts, achieving 4 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Tristan Jarry has started 48 games this season. His current record stands at 19-24, and his save percentage is 0.914%.

Does Colorado Have What it Takes at Home?

At home this season, the Avalanche have been dominant, winning 81.8% of their games. In the Central Division, Colorado is in first place with a record of 13-8. Overall, the Avalanche are 2nd in the Western Conference with a record of 45-20-5.

Colorado has won eight straight games and five straight at home. As the favorite, the Avalanche have won six straight games and are 40-14-5 this season.

Colorado comes into the game with a puck line record of 35-35 this year, including going 7-3 in their last ten games. So far, the Avalanche have had 32 wins by multiple goals, and their average scoring margin this year is +.8 goals per game.

Overall, the team has been favored in 59 of their games, going 30-29 in those games. In their last five home games, the Avalanche have gone 4-1 against the puck line.

This season, Colorado’s games have an average of 6.7 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.4. The Avalanche come in with an over/under performance of 39-28-3.

Although Pittsburgh has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 0-3. The team averaged 1 goals per game in these games.

On the offensive side, the Avalanche are scoring an 3.7 goals per game this season, ranking 1st in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 4th in the league. Colorado’s offense is currently ranked 2nd in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 10th in the league.

The leading scorer for Colorado’s offense is Nathan MacKinnon. Coming into the game he has 43 goals, ranking 6th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, MacKinnon has 76 assists this season.

Defensively, the Avalanche are currently 22nd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.3 shots per game against Colorado. They also are 15th in shutouts, coming in with 4 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Pittsburgh, goalie Alexandar Georgiev has started 54 games in this season. His current record is 36-15, and his save percentage stands at 0.973%.