The Pittsburgh Penguins (23-17-7) travel to face off against the Minnesota Wild (22-23-5) on Friday, February 9th. This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET.

Penguins vs Wild

The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win

On the year, the Penguins are 23-17-7 and sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. In the Metropolitan Division, Pittsburgh is in 5th place. Over their last ten games, the Penguins are 4-6. Heading into this game, Pittsburgh has won two straight games and have gone 15-12-4 when favored this season.

With 53 points, the Penguins have gone 12-16 against Eastern Conference opponents. On the road, Pittsburgh is 10-9-4 this year and have lost two straight games away from home. Against the Central Division, the Penguins have gone 6-7 on the year.

On the season, the Penguins have a puck line record of 23-24 and their average scoring margin is +.3 goals per game. In their last ten games, Pittsburgh has gone 5-5 against the puck line.

So far, the Penguins have been favored in 31 games, and their puck line record as the favorite is 12-19. In their 16 games as the underdog, Pittsburgh’s scoring margin is just +.1 goals per game.

The Penguins recently hosted the Jets and emerged victorious with a 3-0 win. Offensively, the Penguins registered one goal during the first period and two times in the second period. Of Pittsburgh’s three goals, two came while in power play. They ended the game with 27 shots on goal and had 11 giveaways.

Pittsburgh also picked up a win against the puck line, coming into the game favored by -1.5. The game finished below the over/under line of 5.5 with a combined total of 3 goals.

The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win

At home this season, the Wild have gone 12-11-3 and have dropped their last two games. In the Central Division, Minnesota is in 7th place and has a record of 4-8. In the Western Conference, the Wild are in 13th place with 49 points and a record of 22-23-5. Over their last ten games, Minnesota is 5-5, and in their last five games, they are 3-2. As the underdog this season, the Wild have gone 7-17-3.

So far this season, the Wild have been favored in 23 games and have gone 15-6-2 in those games. At home, Minnesota has gone 12-11-3. Over their last three games, the Wild have gone 1-2.

Minnesota enters the game with a puck line record of 25-25 and an average scoring margin of -0.3 goals per game. So far, the Wild have had 14 wins by multiple goals compared to just eight wins by one goal. In their last 10 games at home, the team’s puck line record sits at 4-6.

Overall, the Wild have been the underdog in 27 games this season, and their puck line record as the underdog is 16-11. In their last three games, Minnesota’s puck line record is 0-3, and their puck line record at home this season is 12-14.

The Wild recently played against the Blackhawks and secured a win with a score of 2-1. The Wild managed to find the net one time in the 3rd period against the Blackhawks, following their one goal in the first period. In the game, Minnesota managed to score all two goals at even strength. They concluded with 25 shots on goal and committed 5 turnovers.

Despite the straight-up win, Minnesota did not cover the puck line, as they were favored by -1.5. The over/under line for the game was 5.5, and it concluded with a combined total of 3 goals.

Pittsburgh Offense Breakdown

The Penguins come into the game scoring an average of 3 goals per game, putting them 25th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 13th in the league. The Pittsburgh offense is ranked 24th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 28th in the NHL.

The Penguins come in with an over/under record of 17-27-3. Over the course of the season, they have had 23 games failing to surpass the 6 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 5.7 per game.

Wild Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Wild come in averaging 3 goals per game this season, which is 21st in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 21st in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Wild offense is 13th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 25th in the NHL.

This season, the Wild have an over/under record of 24-22-4. Throughout the season, they have played 25 games that went over the 6 over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is 6.4 per game.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

Defensively, the Penguins come into the season ranked 25th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 30.1 shots per game against Pittsburgh. For the season, they are ranked 1st in shutouts, coming in with 7 shutouts.

Minnesota Team Defense

Defensively, the Wild come into the season ranked 18th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 30.2 shots per game against Minnesota. For the season, they are ranked 14th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Penguins vs Wild Trends

• In their last five road games, Pittsburgh has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 3. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 3-2.
• In their last five games at home, the Wild have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 2 goals per game in these contests.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Wild have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 3-2.
• In their last three contests as the favorite, Pittsburgh has a poor record vs the puck line going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 2-1.

Penguins vs Wild Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Wild to pick up on a win over the Penguins at home. With the moneyline sitting at -103, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Wild straight-up.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Wild winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Wild straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making 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.