Hurricanes vs. Penguins prediction, odds, pick - 10/18/2024
The Carolina Hurricanes will battle the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Lenovo Center this Friday. It will be a battle in Raleigh, North Carolina, as we share our NHL odds series and make a Hurricanes-Penguins prediction and pick.
The Hurricanes are 1-1 after defeating the New Jersey 4-2 on Tuesday at the Prudential Center. They look to keep the momentum as they head into a showdown with the Penguins.
The Penguins are 3-2 after defeating the Buffalo Sabres 6-5 on Wednesday. Significantly, they battled back from a 3-1 deficit to tie it and eventually force overtime and win it in the extra session.
Here are the Hurricanes-Penguins NHL odds , courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Hurricanes-Penguins Odds
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+146)
Moneyline: -166
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-176)
Moneyline: +138
Over: 6.5 (-105)
Under: 6.5 (-115)
How To Watch Hurricanes vs Penguins
Time: 7:05 PM ET/4:05 PM PT
TV: NHL Network, Sportsnet Pittsburgh, and Bally Sports South
Stream: fuboTV ( Free Trial )
Why the Hurricanes Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Hurricanes struggle to score consistently. While they netted four against the Devils, it was a struggle against the Tampa Bay Lightning to open the season. Jordan Staal has one of their goals while centering the third line. Meanwhile, Sebastian Aho also has a goal while centering the first line. The second line still needs work as Jack Roslovic, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Martin Necas attempt to build chemistry with each other. Moreover, the Canes have not scored on the powerplay yet.
The defense and goaltending have yielded mixed results. Significantly, Andersen is 0-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average and a save percentage of .905. Kochetkov is 1-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .923. Overall, the defense is still the team's strength. But the penalty kill has struggled to start the season, especially against Nikita Kucherov. They must make adjustments.
The Hurricanes will cover the spread if all three top lines can generate some scoring chances and build opportunities to get the lead early. Then, the defense must continue to play stout hockey and whoever is in the net must make saves.
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
Malkin joined the 500-goal club this week, and is on fire to start the season with two goals and nine assists. Therefore, expect him to continue buzzing around the ice as he attempts to help his team win. Crosby has also maintained a point-per-game pace. So far, he has tallied one goal and five assists. Defenseman Erik Karlsson has delivered with one goal and three assists. Likewise, Kris Letang has tallied two goals and one assist. Rickard Rakell has been a great secondary player for the Penguins and currently has three goals. Significantly, the Pens have been solid on the powerplay as they currently rank 10th on the extra-man attack.
It's been a rocky road for the defense and goaltenders. So far, Tristan Jarry is 1-1 with a 5.47 goals-against average and a save percentage of .833 over three games and has already been pulled once. Jarry must play better, and the defense must not allow the Canes to have so many open shots.
The Penguins will cover the spread if they can generate some offense and make some plays on the Carolina end of the ice. Then, the defense must prevent Aho, Necas, and the Canes from skating into their zone and getting scoring chances.
Final Hurricanes-Penguins Prediction & Pick
The Hurricanes are 1-1 against the spread, while the Penguins are 3-2. Also, the Hurricanes are 1-0 against the spread on the road, while the Penguins are 0-2 against the odds at home. The Penguins won two of three games against the Hurricanes last season. Yet, the Canes are 7-2-1 over the past 10 games against the Penguins. The teams have combined for under 6.5 goals in five consecutive games and under 5.5 goals in three straight games.
It is tough to pick a winner, as both teams are a bit difficult to predict right now. However, both teams seem to struggle to gain any traction against each other. Expect that to continue as the Canes and Penguins struggle to score, guaranteeing a win for the under.
