Tuesday NHL Odds, Picks, Prediction: Arizona Coyotes vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images. Pictured: Karel Vejmelka
Coyotes vs. Penguins Odds
| Coyotes Odds | +340 |
| Penguins Odds | -425 |
| Over/Under | 6 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Pittsburgh Penguins' seven-game home winning streak will be on the line Tuesday as the Coyotes come into town. The line is absurdly large as the Penguins are up to -425 on the moneyline as of Monday night.
Can the red-hot Penguins continue their home dominance, or will the Coyotes play spoiler at PPG Paints Arena?
Arizona Coyotes
If you ask any 'Yotes fan what the one bright spot of this season has been for them, they will all say the same thing – rookie goaltender Karel Vejmelka. The young netminder has had a strong rookie campaign this season, boasting a 0.905 SV% that is weighed down by his poor performance against the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Vejmelka had a brutal outing against New York, allowing six goals on just 20 shots. However, I am optimistic for a bounce back performance for the young goaltender.
We saw this happen recently when Vejmelka stopped 24 of 26 shots faced against Montreal following a game where he gave up five goals against Colorado. Vejmelka also had a nice bounce back performance earlier this month when he stopped 46 of 48 shots against Winnipeg following a game where he gave up five goals against Philadelphia.
While the Coyotes are obviously not a good team, their offense has really been the weak point. The Yotes rank 30th in 5-on-5 expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF), 27th in 5-on-5 Shots On Net percentage, and 32nd in Power Play percentage.
Over their last 10 games, the Coyotes have scored more than three goals only three times, while the total goals scored by both teams have been fewer than seven in six of those contests.
Pittsburgh Penguins
There are many teams in the NHL that Arizona could get its offense on track against, however, Pittsburgh surely is not of those teams. Kris Letang and the rest of the Penguins' defensemen comprise one of the best blue-line units in the league, ranking seventh in 5-on-5 Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (xGA) and first in Penalty Killing.
What makes this team even tougher to score against is the fact that their defense is backed by one of the best goaltenders in the league this season. Tristan Jarry has earned his second career All-Star nod this season, and for good reason.
Jarry boasts an outstanding 0.928 SV% and ranks ninth among starting goaltenders in 5-on-5 Goals Saved Above Expected per 60 minutes (GSAx). His numbers are even more impressive at home. Over his last eight starts at PPG Paints Arena, Jarry has a 0.939 SV% and has allowed more than two goals only once in that stretch. The total goals scored by both teams was under seven in five of those eight home games.
Coyotes vs. Penguins Pick
The total is currently sitting at six, which I think is inflated due to Vejmelka's poor outing in New York. The two projected starting goalies have been strong all season, and that paired with Arizona's awful offense and Pittsburgh's elite defense makes the under a strong play here in my estimation.
I think there could be value in Jarry's shutout prop when the line comes out, however, I will just be taking under six goals Tuesday.
Pick: Coyotes/Penguins Under 6 (+105) | Play up to (-110)
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