The Pittsburgh Penguins (17-16-5) travel to face off against the Detroit Red Wings (14-18-4) on Tuesday, December 31st. This game will be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit 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 Red Wings

The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win

With a 3-1 win over the Canadiens, the Penguins moved above .500, improving to 17-16-5 for the season. Pittsburgh covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the pre-game line of 6.5.

Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals, while Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter to seal the victory. The Penguins kept the Canadiens scoreless until the 3rd period.

The Detroit Red Wings Are Coming Off A Win

Detroit improved to 14-18-4 with a 2-1 win over the Sabres. The Red Wings were favored on the puck line but failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 3 fell well short.

After giving up a goal in the first period, the Red Wings responded with two goals in the second. Both of Detroit’s goals came on the power play, courtesy of Dylan Larkin.

Pittsburgh Offense Breakdown

Sidney Crosby scored twice in the Penguins’ 3-1 win over Montreal, netting his 4th and 5th goals of the season. Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter, his 2nd goal of the year.

The Penguins took 24 shots on goal and scored once on the power play. They had 14 giveaways in the game.

Red Wings Offense Breakdown

Dylan Larkin provided all the offense for the Red Wings in their 2-1 win over the Sabres, scoring both of Detroit’s goals. Larkin now has 7 goals on the season, finding the net on two of his four shots on goal.

Detroit was shut out in the first period before Larkin’s 6th and 7th goals, both coming on power plays in the second period. The Red Wings took 23 shots on goal and recorded 15 giveaways.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

On the defensive side, the Penguins will be looking to carry their momentum from their previous game, where they secured a 3-1 win over Montreal. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves, finishing with a 96.2% save percentage. The defense also contributed 5 takeaways and 19 hits, while blocking 19 shots.

Detroit Team Defense

Detroit’s defense gave up the opening goal at 11:39 of the first period, but they held firm after that, leading to a 2-1 victory. Cam Talbot made 31 saves with a 96.9% save percentage, and the defense added 4 takeaways and 11 hits.

Penguins vs Red Wings Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Pittsburgh has an puck line mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Detroit has an puck line record of 2-3 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
• Detroit has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 puck line in their last three games.
• As the betting favorite, the Penguins have an puck line mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Pittsburgh posted a straight up mark of 8-2 in these matchups.

Penguins vs Red Wings Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Red Wings to secure a victory over the Penguins at home. With the moneyline currently set at -125, I’m locking in my bet on the Red Wings straight-up.

For my recommended choice in the puck line, I’m leaning towards the Penguins to cover. Even if the Red Wings secure a straight-up win, this game is expected to be tightly contested, and the Penguins should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down 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.