The Pittsburgh Penguins (17-17-5) travel to face off against the Florida Panthers (23-14-2) on Friday, January 3rd. This game will be played at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise and televised on NHLN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Penguins vs Panthers

The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win

With a 3-1 win over the Canadiens, the Penguins evened their record at 17-17-5. Pittsburgh covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the 6.5 goal line.

Sidney Crosby scored twice for the Penguins, while Blake Lizotte added an empty-net goal to seal the victory. Pittsburgh’s defense held Montreal scoreless until the third period.

The Florida Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

Florida improved to 23-14-2 with a 4-2 road win over the Stars. The Panthers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6.5 goals went under, with the teams combining for 6 goals.

All four of the Panthers’ goals came from different players. They held a 2-0 lead before the Stars tied it up, but Florida scored twice in the third period to secure the win.

Pittsburgh Offense Breakdown

Sidney Crosby led the way for the Penguins with two goals in their 3-1 win over the Canadiens. He now has five goals on the season, finding the net at 4:03 in the first period and again at 1:20 in the second, the latter coming on a power play. Blake Lizotte added his second goal of the season on an empty net with 45 seconds left in the game.

Despite scoring three times, the Penguins had 14 giveaways and managed 24 shots on goal. Lars Eller picked up his third assist on Lizotte’s empty-netter, while Erik Karlsson earned his seventh assist of the season on Crosby’s second goal.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Carolina’s offense came through with a 4-2 win against the Stars, with A.J. Greer netting his first goal of the season. Sam Reinhart added his 10th goal on an empty net, while Evan Rodrigues and Matthew Tkachuk also found the back of the net, with Tkachuk scoring his third on a power play.

The Panthers fired 25 shots on goal and recorded 16 giveaways. They scored once in the first period, added another in the second, and closed out the game with two more in the third.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

Defensively, the Penguins will look to build on their last performance, where they gave up just one goal to the Canadiens. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic had 25 saves with a 96.2% save percentage, and Pittsburgh’s defense added 5 takeaways and 19 hits. The only goal they allowed came at 5:32 in the 3rd period.

Florida Team Defense

Florida’s defense gave up two goals in the second period but shut the door in the third, helping them to a 4-2 win. Spencer Knight made 23 saves with a 92% save percentage, and the Panthers’ defense added 8 takeaways and 22 hits.

Penguins vs Panthers Trends

• Across their three previous road games, Pittsburgh has an puck line mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 1 goals per game.
• Through their last three home contests, the Panthers offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Florida posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
• As the betting underdog, the Panthers have an puck line record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.
• Through their last three games as the favorite, the Penguins have an puck line record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 3-0.

Penguins vs Panthers Prediction

When it comes to a straight moneyline bet, look no further than the Panthers. Nevertheless, given the payout of -204, you could also think about incorporating this bet into a parlay.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Penguins to cover. Even if the Panthers win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Penguins should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

---

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

---

* 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.