With only four games on the schedule tonight the options for placing bets are somewhat limited but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make any wagers. Most teams are coming off back-to-back sets because of yesterday’s full slate of games, but three of these four teams should have some extra jump because they have had at least one day off before their games tonight.
Pittsburgh Penguins (-140) vs Vegas Golden Knights (+115)
The Pittsburgh Penguins are the team coming off a 4-3 loss against the Florida Panthers back on March 8, 2022, and will look to get back in the win column in a tight Metropolitan Division. The Penguins are also coming off three days of rest and get a tired Vegas Golden Knights team, who is on the second night of a back-to-back set.
Vegas, who played in Buffalo last night, will likely get into Pittsburgh late and not get much rest. On top of that, the team is still without captain Mark Stone and shut down defenseman Brayden McNabb as well as four other regulars in their lineup who will be out due to injury. Backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit got the start in Buffalo with starter Robin Lehner going down with a lower-body injury. Regardless if rookie Logan Thompson or Brossoit gets the start with Lehner out, the odds are even further swayed to the Penguins’ favor.
Pittsburgh will summon their All-Star caliber goaltender Tristan Jarry to man the crease, who is coming off a bad showing where he allowed four goals. Crosby and Guentzel have been the teams’ main source of offense this year and they will need more from their second line to provide support. The Penguins have lost two straight and muddled along to a 5-4-1 record in their previous ten games, so they are overdue to get back to their winning ways against the Golden Knights.
Despite besting the Pens 5-3 in the other meeting between these two teams this season, the travel and tough schedule combined with a rested Penguins squad makes it an easy decision to back the Penguins as the home side in this matchup.
Vancouver Canucks (-110) vs Washington Capitals (-110)
The Canucks have been one of the hotter teams in the league as of late, and with an 8-2-0 record in their last ten games outscoring their opponents 46-35 in that span. They have emerged victorious against some tougher competition, beating the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs twice in that span. Both teams are playing well enough to warrant winning, and the line is opening as a pick’em between these two teams — although it could change slightly depending on how the public places their bets.
They have not been the best defensively and goaltender Thatcher Demko has had to stand on his head in many of these games, but they have been able to get the right results. J.T. Miller has done almost all of the heavy lifting on offense and has 21 points while riding a 10 game points streak.
That said, the Capitals are looking to bounce back from a tough overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. This will be Washington’s final game on their three-game Western Canada road trip, but the team’s away record is solid at 17-7-5 so far this season. Washington is getting healthier as of late, with Anthony Mantha and TJ Oshie’s recent returns from injury which have significantly bolstered the team’s top-six forward group.
The Canucks will keep the good times rolling on the back of Miller and Demko in this one, with the Caps on their last legs after two hard-fought games against Edmonton and Calgary. In a pick’em situation like this one the better play is always to back the home team.
Odds via Yahoo and Bet MGM
