Penguins vs Avalanche Prediction, Odds & Picks (March 22): Colorado Pounces on Pittsburgh’s Recent Struggles

Wednesday, March 22’s NHL lineup includes a massive inter-conference battle between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. This is the second and final Penguins vs Avalanche matchup of the season. Kris Letang scored at 3:36 into overtime to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 victory over Colorado last month, leaving time to tell if the Penguins can sweep the season series.

See you tonight, @Avalanche.

Game preview: https://t.co/wOxytRNnq6 pic.twitter.com/Cpf2E6FpGt

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 22, 2023

The Penguins stumbled into tonight’s contest on a four-game losing streak. They fell 2-1 to the Ottawa Senators on Monday night and now head out on the road, where they’ll play three of their next four games. With their hold on the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot slipping away, it’s clear that the Pens need a victory tonight.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche are trending in the opposite direction. Their winning streak was extended to six consecutive games with a 5-0 blowout win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Denis Malgin scored twice and added an assist while Alexandar Georgiev turned aside each of the 27 shots he faced.

If you’re searching for betting opportunities for tonight’s action, look no further. Betting News has you covered with BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest Penguins vs Avalanche odds, as well as a prediction and the best bets for the game.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Colorado Avalanche Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins (34-26-10, 15-15-5 Away) vs. Colorado Avalanche (41-22-6, 19-11-5 Home)
• Venue & Location: Ball Arena (Denver, Colorado)
• Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2023
• Game Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
• Penguins vs Avalanche TV Info: TNT

Penguins vs Avalanche Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Wednesday, March 22 at 9:49 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 (-176)
• Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+146)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-106)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-114)

Moneyline

• Pittsburgh Penguins +134
• Colorado Avalanche -162

Penguins vs Avalanche Betting Trends

• Pittsburgh is 11-1 straight up in its last 12 games against the Central Division.
• Colorado is 5-0 straight up in its last five games played in March.
• The total has hit the under in four of Pittsburgh’s last five road games.
• The total has hit the under in five of Colorado’s last six games against the Metropolitan Division.
• The total has hit the over in four of the last seven Pittsburgh-Colorado matchups.

Penguins vs Avalanche Game Preview

The Penguins have struggled recently due to a mixture of inconsistent play on both ends of the ice.

When it comes to offense, the Penguins are averaging just 1.75 goals over their last four games. What’s even worse is that they’ve only scored three times in their three previous outings ahead of tonight’s matchup.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, these struggles aren’t anything new. While names like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel are still showing up, others have gone missing from the scoresheet.

Jeff Carter has scored just once in his last 19 games, going the last 11 without finding the back of the net. Bryan Rust is currently on a nine-game goal drought. Trade deadline acquisition Mikael Granlund has scored just once in nine outings since donning a Pittsburgh jersey.

The Penguins’ power play has also been dreadful, failing to convert on each of its last eight opportunities. The Avalanche’s penalty kill might be average this season, but it has killed off 28-of-31 penalties (90.3%) over the last 10 games.

On top of an uninspiring offense, the Penguins have also lacked reliable defense and goaltending. They’ve been outscored 18-7 during their four-game skid and have now allowed four-plus goals in seven of their last 10 contests.

Projected starting goalie Tristan Jarry (per Daily Faceoff) has gone 1-3-1 in his last seven appearances, playing to a putrid 4.46 goals-against average and .845 save percentage along the way.

Goaltending hasn’t been an issue for Colorado ahead of tonight’s Penguins vs Avalanche clash. Georgiev carries an 11-2-1 record in his last 14 starts. The veteran goaltender also has a 2.12 GAA and .925 SV% with three shutouts in those appearances, always giving the Avs a chance to win whenever he takes to the crease.

The Avalanche have also scored 4.5 goals per game during their winning streak. They’ve only been held to fewer than three goals once, tallying exactly five in their last three contests.

What’s even more impressive is that the Avalanche have four players playing at a point-per-game pace over the last six games. Nathan MacKinnon, unsurprisingly, leads the charge with 12 points while Mikko Rantanen (11) and Cale Makar (10) aren’t too far behind him. Valeri Nichushkin sits at a distant fourth with six points.

Colorado’s solid offense play has paid off on the man advantage, as well. The Avalanche have scored at least one PP goal in each of their last eight games, going 10-of-26 (38.4%) during that span.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Pens can handle the Avs’ PP unit. While it’s a small sample size, Pittsburgh has surrendered a pair of power-play goals on the last six penalties it has taken.

Penguins vs Avalanche Prediction and Picks

Penguins vs Avalanche Prediction: Avalanche 4, Avalanche 2

Penguins vs Avalanche Picks: Avalanche ML (Best Value: -162 at BetOnline) & Under 6.5 Goals (Best Value: -114 at BetOnline)

Holding the advantage at both ends of the ice, I see the Avalanche being victorious tonight. They’re getting goals and saves when they need them the most, whereas the Penguins are not. Besides, the Avalanche are also motivated to get revenge for last month’s loss. Having the home-ice advantage only helps with that goal.

I don’t see the 6.5-goal total being surpassed, though. While I see Colorado getting a handful past Jarry, Pittsburgh’s inability to score consistently is the biggest obstacle. Furthermore, three of the last five Penguins vs Avalanche tilts ended with fewer than 6.5 goals.

After the two sides combined for just two regulation goals in their last meeting, don’t expect a barn-burner tonight.

Other Pittsburgh vs Colorado Betting Resources

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