The Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators are set to play the latter half of a home and home tonight.
Ottawa got the best of Pittsburgh in the first meeting thanks to an overtime game-winning goal from Brady Tkachuk. The Sens got a ton of help from a power play that scored four times in the game, which makes me think that the Penguins will certainly be more disciplined this time around.
Like Wednesday night, this should be another exciting game. Find out my best bet in our free NHL betting picks and predictions for Senators vs. Penguins on January 20.
Senators vs Penguins best odds
Senators vs Penguins picks and predictions
The Senators completely dominated the Penguins on Wednesday night, but Pittsburgh was still able to sneak out with a point. The Penguins haven’t played their best stretch of hockey lately, as they have now lost three out of their last four games. However, with this matchup being played in Pittsburgh, the five-time Stanley Cup champs have a real advantage.
The Penguins enter this game with a very strong 12-5-4 record on home ice, and Ottawa is just 4-22 straight up in their last 26 trips to the Steel City.
Pittsburgh is a much better team than Ottawa when it comes to 5-on-5 play, averaging 2.56 goals per game with a 2.85 xGF/60. The Senators are heavily underperforming at 5-on-5, with a league's worst -38 goals differential above expected while only averaging 1.98 goals per game.
If the Penguins can stay disciplined and not take penalties, they should easily win this game in regulation.
My best bet: Penguins three-way moneyline (+100 at BetMGM)
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Senators vs Penguins moneyline analysis
The Senators are very quietly underperforming at 5-on-5, but they have a ton of talent on their roster but haven’t been able to click just yet. They have scored one goal at 5-on-5 in their last three games.
The Penguins are currently tied for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, making every single game important for them as they try to climb up the standings. Sidney Crosby has turned back the clock this season and recorded three assists on Wednesday night against Ottawa. He enters this contest with the fourth-most even strength points in the NHL right now (40).
I think it’s fair to say that the Penguins are a much deeper team and have more offensive talent, which could cause problems for the Sens' blue line. Even though Pittsburgh didn’t play their best brand of hockey in the first battle of the home and home, they still came up with a point.
Tonight, I expect them to win outright in regulation.
Senators vs Penguins Over/Under analysis
This goaltending battle is not one to write home about. It is expected that Casey DeSmith will start for the Penguins, and Cam Talbot will be making his third straight start for the Senators. Neither of these netminders has been outstanding this season, as both currently own a SV% under .905.
We saw nine goals between these two teams on Wednesday night, and I have no reason to believe that we won’t see another barn burner. Both of these teams are relatively mediocre when it comes to playing defense, as Pittsburgh possesses 3.07 GA/GP while Ottawa comes in at 3.25.
The Over is 6-1 in the previous seven games between these two teams and 4-0 in the last four when played in Pittsburgh.
Senators vs Penguins betting trend to know
Ottawa is 2-5 in the last seven meetings between these two teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs Penguins.
Senators vs Penguins game info
| Location: | PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Date: | Friday, January 20, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN5, AT&T SportsNet |
Senators vs Penguins key injuries
