NHL Betting Analysis - Pittsburgh @ Nashville

The Pittsburgh Penguins (20-17-4) will try to shake off its recent slump this Thursday night in an NHL betting clash against the Nashville Predators (17-19-3). Pittsburgh comes into this game struggling mightily just breaking a five-game losing streak Tuesday night in a pro hockey wagering 3-1 victory against Atlanta. Nashville is also sliding currently in the midst of a five game losing streak managing to light the lamp just seven times.

The good news for Pittsburgh is that they have two of the brightest stars in the NHL today, both of whom were recently named starters for the Eastern Conference in the NHL All-Star game in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Malkin currently leads the NHL in points with 63 (15 G, 48 A) through 41 games while Crosby is third in the NHL with 51 points (16 G, 35 A) after 41 games. However, the Penguins offense has been inefficient lately allowing under bettors to go 5-2-1 throughout Pittsburgh’s last eight games.

After standing on his head for much of last season and the playoffs, G Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t played his best hockey this season, only managing a 12-9-2 record with an alarmingly high 2.92 GAA and .905 save percentage. Pittsburgh bettors are aware that if the Penguins are going to turn things around, they will need to get better play in between the pipes from Fleury.

While Pittsburgh has one of the most bountiful offenses in the NHL, the Predators have one of the most barren, with their total of 94 goals in 39 games being the second-to-lowest number in the NHL. RW J.P. Dumont has been one of the bright spots for the offense however, leading the team with 32 points (7 G, 25 A) while veteran C Jason Arnott has helped Nashville bettors out by tallying 15 goals; tops on the team.

Goaltenders Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne have been adequate in net for the Predators, especially considering the lack of help they’ve gotten from their offense. Ellis and Rinne have combined for a 2.70 GAA and a .905 save percentage this year with five shutouts; one of the highest team totals in the NHL. The combination of Ellis’ and Rinne’s recent play along with the lack of scoring from the offense has led to 10 of Nashville’s last 12 games to go under the ‘total’ per the closing NHL wagering odds.

NHL betting trends that gamblers should know before placing a wager on this game include: Pittsburgh is 24-11 in its last 35 games against a team with a losing record, Nashville is 16-5-2 in its last 23 games against Atlantic Division opponents, and Pittsburgh has lost four straight against the Predators in Nashville.

NHL lines show the Predators as a -110 moneyline favorite in this game with a ‘total’ of 5.5 goals shaded toward the under at -115 juice.

You can wager on this game and all other NHL games Thursday night at BetUS Sportsbook. With lines and totals on every game and a plethora of betting options, BetUS is your one stop shop for all your online sports betting needs.