Hurricanes vs Penguins Betting (Dec. 22): Who’ll Stand Tall in Metropolitan Division Showdown?

The 2022-23 NHL season has an exciting schedule planned for Thursday, Dec. 22, including a Metropolitan Division clash between the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. Carolina currently leads the division, but Pittsburgh is only four points behind, which only raises the stakes of the latest Hurricanes vs Penguins tilt.

Here are a few highlights from today's full practice in Cranberry (Video courtesy @penguins.)

Our coverage of Thursday's game between the Pens and Hurricanes begins at 6pm! -DP pic.twitter.com/sl6dQRvbKz

— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) December 21, 2022

The Hurricanes have been nearly unstoppable lately. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 games and haven’t lost in regulation since Nov. 23. They were also victorious in their most recent outing — Tuesday’s 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils — thanks to goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopping 37 of the 38 shots he faced.

Meanwhile, the Penguins have also been hot in their own right. Winners of eight of their last nine games, the Penguins enter tonight’s festivities fresh off a 3-2 win against the New York Rangers two nights ago. Considering how Pittsburgh has won six straight home games, it’ll be interesting to see if that momentum continues tonight.

As with most notable matchups, there are plenty of betting opportunities in this Hurricanes vs Penguins tilt. Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the games, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Pittsburgh Penguins Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Carolina Hurricanes (20-6-6, 11-3-5 Away) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (19-9-4, 10-3-2 Home)
• Venue & Location: PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• Date: Friday, Dec. 23, 2022
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Hurricanes vs Penguins Info: ESPN+

Hurricanes vs Penguins Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, Dec. 22 at 8:06 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Carolina Hurricanes +1.5 (-250)
• Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (+198)

Over/Under

• Over 5.5 Goals (-120)
• Under 5.5 Goals (+100)

Moneyline

• Carolina Hurricanes +104
• Pittsburgh Penguins -125

Carolina Hurricanes vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Trends

• Carolina is 5-0 straight up in its last five games against the Metropolitan Division.
• Pittsburgh is 1-5 straight up in its last six games against Carolina.
• The total has hit the under in seven of Carolina’s last 10 road games against Pittsburgh.
• The total has hit the under in eight of Pittsburgh’s last nine games against the Eastern Conference.

Hurricanes vs Penguins Prediction and Picks

Hurricanes vs Penguins Prediction: Penguins 4, Hurricanes 3

Hurricanes vs Penguins Picks: Penguins ML (Best Value: -125 at BetOnline) & Over 5.5 Goals (Best Value: -120 at BetOnline)

These division rivals have already met twice this season, ending with the same result: a Hurricanes victory.

Both games were evenly matched, decided by just one goal. You don’t even have to go too far back to find the most recent meeting as the Hurricanes and Penguins just met on Dec. 18, ending in a 3-2 victory for Carolina.

Three different Hurricanes had two-point efforts in the victory while Kochetkov stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced. Furthermore, the win was Carolina’s seven in its last nine tries against Pittsburgh, showing how one-sided this rivalry has been lately.

Still, it’s important to point out that the Penguins have won each of their last six home games, so winning for the Hurricanes won’t be easy. Pittsburgh has outscored the opposition 22-10 over that stretch, allowing two or fewer goals in each of the last five games at PPG Paints Arena as well.

On the flip side, the Hurricanes have won five of their last six road games, scoring at least three goals in all but one of those outings. On top of that, they’ve also won four of their last six trips to PPG Paints Arena, showing that they can win on the Penguins’ turf.

One of the reasons why I like the Penguins winning tonight is because of their special teams. Both units are clicking as the power play is at 35.1% (fifth-best) over the last 10 games while the penalty kill sits second-best at 90.0% during that span.

While the Hurricanes’ PK has been strong over that stretch too (81.8%, No. 7), the power play is only at 20.0% (No. 18). Considering how Carolina is 0-of-5 on the PP against Pittsburgh this season, the Hurricanes could be in trouble if that trend continues.

I also like the advantage that Tristan Jarry gives to the Penguins between the pipes. He hasn’t lost in regulation since Nov. 5 and has gone 11-0-1 in his last 12 starts, playing to a 1.90 goals-against average (GAA) and .940 save percentage (SV%) with one shutout.

Even with how well the Hurricanes have played, it’s tough beating a goalie who’s at the top of his game. Combine that with the Penguins’ winning streak at home and I see Pittsburgh getting the win in a close one tonight.

Beating the Hurricanes by two goals would take a lot, so the safer bet is to stick with the Penguins on the moneyline.

I also recommend backing the over on the 5.5-goal total. Although 12 of the last 16 Hurricanes vs Penguins matchups have finished with the under, they’ve averaged 5.6 goals in the last five meetings. That’s only slightly over tonight’s total, however, with how close the division standings are, the elevated stakes should result in more goals being scored than expected.

Other Carolina vs Pittsburgh Resources

• Hurricanes vs Penguins Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats

Other NHL Stories on Betting News (Dec. 22)

• Islanders vs Rangers Betting (Dec. 22): Can the Rangers Avoid Getting Swept on Broadway?