The New York Islanders, led by Josh Bailey and Anders Lee, are ready to take the ice against Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in a Metro Division showdown. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 6, and you’ll be able to see it live on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.
New York Islanders vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Odds
The Penguins (-200) are being picked as the big favorites over the Islanders (+170), and the Over/Under (O/U) is placed at 7 goals (-125 money on the over, +105 on the under).
New York is 13-13 straight up (SU) and has earned 4.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. 14 of its outings have gone under the total, while 10 have gone over and just two have pushed. This 2018-19 Islanders team is 6-7 SU on the road.
New York has converted on just 15.0 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that’s ranked 30th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 25th out of 31 teams, and the team’s successfully killed off only 76.8 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 26.1 saves per game with a .925 save percentage, Thomas Greiss (11-6-1) has been the top option in goal for New York this season. If it chooses to give him a rest, however, head coach Barry Trotz may roll with Robin Lehner (4-8-2), who has a .913 save percentage and 2.79 goals against average this year.
On the other bench, Pittsburgh is 11-15 straight up (SU) and has lost 13.1 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 26 regular season contests, 11 of its games have gone over the total, while another 11 have gone under and just four have pushed. It’s 6-8 SU at home this season.
The Penguins have converted on 24.7 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that places it in the top-10 among NHL teams. Its penalty kill is also ranked eighth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 82.7 percent of all penalties.
Casey DeSmith has denied 25.4 shots per game as the primary choice in goal for the Penguins. DeSmith has seven wins, 10 losses, and three OT losses and has registered a .923 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average this year.
New York Islanders vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Free Picks
Free NHL Tip: SU Winner \u2013 Penguins, O/U \u2013 Over
Betting Trends
- The Penguins are 5-6 SU in games where they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Islanders are 3-7 SU when they spend more time in the box than their opponent.
- New York is 1-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while Pittsburgh is 0-2 in shootouts.
- For both of these clubs, the over has hit in three of their past five games.
- New York is ranked 21st this season with 10.6 giveaways per game. That figure has trended upward recently, as it’s averaged 13.4 giveaways over its last 10 games and 15.0 giveaways over its last five.
- Pittsburgh is ranked 15th this season with 9.7 giveaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as the team’s averaged 8.0 giveaways over its last 10 games and 7.8 giveaways over its last five.
- This game features a couple of the more physical teams in the league. New York skaters have dished out the league’s eighth-most hits per game (24.7) while the Penguins have tallied the most (30.0).
