The Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Philadelphia Flyers in the Battle of Pennsylvania on Thursday night. These teams have been playing each other since 1967, with Philadelphia holding a 183-117-30-11 all-time advantage.
Last season these interstate Metropolitan Division foes met eight times, with Philadelphia winning five times outright and covering the puck line seven times.
The Flyers are fifth in the division with a 5-2-1 record and 5-3 against the Puck Line. Pittsburgh is 3-3-2, seventh in the Metropolitan, and 4-4 against the puckline.
The Penguins come into this game on a three-game losing streak, with each loss coming on their home ice. Pittsburgh’s last game was on Saturday when they lost 4-2 as a -153 favorite against the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins currently have four players out for issues related to COVID-19, including two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner (league MVP) Sidney Crosby.
Pittsburgh averages 3.2 goals per game, ranking ninth in the NHL and 19th, allowing 3.0 goals per contest. The Penguins are ninth with a +3.38 shot differential per game and first with an outstanding 94.7% of penalty kills.
The Flyers are averaging 3.5 goals per game, the sixth-best total in the NHL, and 10th allowing 2.5 goals per contest. On Tuesday, the Flyers won for the third time in four games, taking down the Arizona Coyotes 3-0 as a -228 moneyline favorite and also covering the +114 puck line.
Pick: Philadelphia Flyers +118
While the Penguins will be at home and anxious to end a three-game losing streak, the Flyers have been the better team so far and come at an excellent price here. The Flyers have won five of their last seven games and three of their five games as an underdog this season. I wouldn’t recommend laying the juice here on a Pittsburgh team that has lost four of its last five games overall, including losing the last three times they have been a straight-up favorite. Take the Flyers.
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