The Pittsburgh Penguins (23-20-7) travel to face off against the Chicago Blackhawks (14-36-3) on Thursday, February 15th. This game will be played at United Center in Chicago and televised on NBCS. Both the Penguins and Blackhawks will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 ET.

Penguins vs Blackhawks

The Pittsburgh Penguins Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

On the season, Pittsburgh is 12th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-20-7. In the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins are 7th. Over their last ten games, the Penguins have gone just 3-7 and have lost three straight games.

On the road, Pittsburgh is 10-11-4 this season and has lost four straight games away from home. As the favorite, the Penguins are 15-13-4 this season and have been favored in 32 of their 50 games.

On the road this season, the Penguins have a puck line record of 12-13, and their average scoring margin is +.1 goals per game. So far, Pittsburgh has 16 wins by multiple goals compared to seven wins by just one goal.

Overall, the Penguins’ puck line record is 24-26, and their puck line record as the favorite is 12-20. In their last ten games, Pittsburgh’s puck line mark is 5-5, and their puck line record on the road is 6-4 over their last ten road games.

The Penguins aim to bounce back following their 5-2 loss at home to the Panthers. The first period saw the Penguins being held without a goal, but they turned things around offensively by scoring one time in the second period and one goal in the third. All two goals came at even strength. They finished with 27 shots on goal and had 6 turnovers.

As the underdog, Pittsburgh suffered both a straight-up and loss vs. the puck line. The teams surpassed the over/under line, which was set at 6 goals, with a combined total of 7 goals.

The Chicago Blackhawks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

At 14-36-3, the Blackhawks are in 8th place in the Central Division and 16th in the Western Conference. Over their last ten games, Chicago has gone just 2-8, and they have dropped five straight games.

When playing at home this season, the Blackhawks have gone 10-13-2, and they have been the underdog in 51 of their 53 games. In games against other teams from the Western Conference, Chicago has gone 8-24 this season.

Chicago enters the game with an overall puck line record of 24-29, including a road puck line record of 9-19. So far this year, the Blackhawks have had just five wins by multiple goals compared to 28 losses by multiple goals.

Over their last ten games at home, the Blackhawks have gone 6-4 against the puck line. Their average scoring margin at home this year is -.5 goals per game. This season, Chicago has been the underdog in 51 of their 53 games and has a puck line record of 24-27 as the underdog.

The Blackhawks are looking to bounce back from a 4-2 loss at home to the Canucks. The first period saw the Blackhawks being held without a goal, but they turned things around offensively by scoring one time in the second period and one goal in the third. Of Chicago’s two goals, one were scored while in power play situations. Their game ended with 23 shots on goal and six giveaways.

Coming in as the underdog, Chicago not only lost straight-up but also failed to cover the puck line. The teams surpassed the over/under line, which was set at 5.5 goals, with a combined total of 6 goals.

Pittsburgh Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Penguins come in averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, which is 27th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 7th in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Penguins offense is 24th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 28th in the NHL.

The Penguins’ come into the game with an over/under record of 18-29-3. Over the course of last season, they had 33 games that did not surpass the 5.5 over/under line. The average number of goals in their games was 6.4 per game.

Blackhawks Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Blackhawks come into the game at 2.1 goals per contest placing 31st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 30th position in the league. Looking at how the Blackhawks’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 32nd in power play goals and 20th in shorthanded goals.

For the season, the over/under record of the Blackhawks’ stands at 21-30-2. They have had 29 games during the season that exceeded the 5.5 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 5.6 goals per game.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

The Penguins defense is currently 23rd in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 30 shots per game against Pittsburgh. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 1st with 7 shutouts.

Chicago Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Blackhawks head into the game ranked 5th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 32.2 shots per game against Chicago. So far, they are 26th in shutouts, achieving 1 shutouts.

Penguins vs Blackhawks Trends

• Through their last three road contests, the Penguins offense has averaged 1 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Pittsburgh posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
• In their last ten games at home, the Blackhawks have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 6-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 2 goals per game in these contests.
• Through their last three games as the betting underdog, the Blackhawks have a strong record vs the puck line going 2-1. Their straight up mark in these contests is 0-3.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Penguins have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 1-4.

Penguins vs Blackhawks Prediction

To those searching for a pure moneyline wager, the Penguins is the clear pick. Still, with a payout of -220, it’s worth thinking about including this bet in a parlay.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Blackhawks to cover. Even if the Penguins manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Blackhawks should cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.