The Penguins will look to begin another winning streak after having their 10-game streak snapped Saturday when they begin their Californian road trip that kicks off in Anaheim with a date with Ducks.
Will Evgeni Malkin finally suit up after Mike Sullivan called him a game-time decision? Can the Ducks hang on to the No. 2 spot in the Pacific Division despite going 2-4 SU since the restart? Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for the Penguins vs. Ducks.
Penguins vs Ducks odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Penguins opened at -145 on the moneyline and have since moved to -180. The total has held steady at 5.5 and leans to the Over.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Penguins vs Ducks predictions
- Prediction: Penguins 3-way ML (-120)
- Prediction: Under 5.5 (-105)
- Best bet: Ducks TT Under 2.5 (-115)
Predictions made on 1/11/2022 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Penguins vs Ducks game info
• Location: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
• Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2022
• Puck drop: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN+
Penguins vs Ducks betting preview
Injuries
Penguins: Evgeni Malkin (Questionable), Casey DeSmith G (Out), Brock McGinn F (Out), Bryan Rust F (Out).
Ducks: John Gibson G (Out), Hampus Lindholm D (Out), Adam Henrique F (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Penguins vs Ducks head-to-head record (since 2017)
Penguins: 3-4 SU, 17 goals for.
Ducks: 4-3 SU, 21 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Penguins are 6-1 SU in their last seven games as a road favorite. Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Ducks.
Penguins vs Ducks picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Moneyline analysis
The Penguins suffered their first loss since December 1 Saturday in a game where the Stars tied and scored the go-ahead goal in the third period. The Pens played yet another near-perfect two periods before scrambling and uncharacteristically blowing a late lead. This will not deter us from jumping back on the Mike Sullivan bandwagon, as this Pittsburgh is 16-6-1 over the last 60 days and has a point percentage of .717, the fourth-best mark in the league over that stretch. This has been one of the best teams in hockey this year and nobody is talking about them.
The Anaheim Ducks could struggle to get on the board Tuesday night, as the California team is averaging just 2.40 goals per game over the last month, which is the third-lowest mark in hockey. Now this struggling offense will have to muster up some production against Pittsburgh, which has been holding teams to just 2.38 goals over the last 30 days.
One of the players who deserves the most credit for this success is goalie Tristan Jarry. The former punching bag goalie is 7-1 SU in his last eight games and has allowed more than three goals just once in his last 16. Since November, his 1.88 GAA is the best mark in hockey among goalies who have made at least 10 starts. He’ll see an Anaheim offense that has some good young talent, but has also scored two or fewer goals in four of its last six games.
The Ducks also have some question marks in nets, as John Gibson is still out, so Sidney Crosby & Co. will likely see Anthony Stolarz. The former backup has played admirably in Gibson’s absence and is 6-4 SU with an impressive 2.22 GAA. Stolarz came in relief versus the Penguins back on December 11 in a game Pittsburgh won 1-0 as -140 and on the backend of a back-to-back. The Ducks failed to score a single goal against backup Casey DeSmith, who owns a 3.47 GAA. If they thought DeSmith was a wall, wait until they see Jarry.
Trusting teams coming off their first loss after a long winning streak is always a questionable angle but with the Penguins possibly getting Evgeni Malkin back in the lineup tonight, there should be a ton of excitement in this locker room. This is a Pittsburgh team that has exceeded expectations despite playing with a shorthanded lineup for the majority of the season and is priced reasonably against a team they’ve already shut out.
We’re backing the Pens on the 3-way ML against a team that has just one regulation win in its last seven matches.
Prediction: Penguins 3-way ML (-120)
Over/Under analysis
Over the last seven days, Overs are hitting at 56%, but we’re looking to fade that trend despite scoring being up substantially since Christmas.
These two teams managed just a single goal in the previous meeting last month, in a game that finished with just 4.45 expected goals. There were only three minor penalties called in that game and we shouldn’t be expecting many power-play goals Tuesday night.
On the Season, the Penguins have the league’s best penalty kill at 90.4 percent while the Ducks aren’t too far behind at 85.9 percent which ranks as the third-best mark in hockey. Pittsburgh also takes penalties at the second-lowest rate so Anaheim’s opportunities will be minimized.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust is also out, which hurts the production of the top line, as Rust had an incredible 12 points in his three games following the break before hitting the COVID list. Evan Rodriguez has looked good on the top line with Crosby and Jake Guentzel but it’s tough to match that kind of production.
There is a reason this total is sitting at 5.5: two solid goalies in Jarry and Stolarz, fantastic special teams and two clubs that combine to be profitable to the Under on the season.
The last game had DeSmith in net and still finished with just a single goal scored. The Ducks are 2-7-1 O/U in their last 10 and are an offense we’re looking to fade.
Prediction: Under 5.5 (-105)
Best bet
Jarry has allowed three or more goals just twice in his last 16 games and comes into tonight’s match as one of the best goalies in hockey. He’s supported by the best penalty kill in the NHL and faces an Anaheim team that sits outside the Top 15 in scoring and has struggled to score against good teams this season.
Pittsburgh will want to tighten up defensively after letting things slip away in Dallas on Saturday, so Anaheim could be seeing a defensive-minded Pittsburgh club.
We’re hitting the Ducks’ team total Under 2.5 which has hit in nine of the team’s 12 losses.
Pick: Ducks team total Under 2.5 (-115)
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