The goal of every team in the NHL is to survive the 82-game regular season grind and get into the playoffs. Once you are in, anything can happen, which is what we saw last year when the Vegas Golden Knights went all the way to the Stanly Cup Final in their inaugural season. Some teams seem to be better equipped to handle the playoffs than other, with the Washington Capitals finally becoming one of those teams when they won it all last year. Prior to that win, it was the Pittsburgh Penguins who had proven to be the playoff warriors of the Metropolitan Division, winning back to back cups.
The Penguins are once again moving up the standings after a bit of an uneven start, but they have a tough one ahead of them on Friday night when they host the Winnipeg Jets, who are leading the way in the Central Division over in the Western Conference. Two of the best teams in the league go head to head on Friday night, with the Penguins in as the NHL odds favorite for this one.
Jets vs Penguins NHL Week 14 Odds & Prediction
#JetsTV‘s @MitchellClinton breaks down the announcement that Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele will represent the #NHLJets at the 2019 #NHLAllStar Competition. pic.twitter.com/MY2612MBKk
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) 3 de enero de 2019
- When: Friday, January 4 at 7 PM EST
- Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
- TV: ESPN+
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Odds: Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (Total -6.5)
ODDS FOR STANLEY CUP POSSIBLE MATCHUPS
Team Records
- All: Jets 25-12-2 / Penguins 22-12-6
- Home: Jets 13-6-2 / Penguins 11-7-2
- Away: Jets 12-6 / Penguins 11-5-4
- ATS: Jets 16-23 / Penguins 18-22
- Over/Under: Jets 19-15-5 / Penguins 18-17-5
Why bet on the Winnipeg Jets?
Slowly but surely, the Central Division is turning into a bit of a 2-horse race, with Winnipeg and Nashville beginning to open up a bit of a gap at the top. It is the Jets who have the upper hand at the moment, leading the Predators by 2 points. The Jets are once again a solid offensive force, averaging 3.41 GPG this season, but they are also a whole lot tighter on the defensive side of the ice than they have been, sitting just outside the top 5 in goals against.
Their special teams are incredibly good, especially the power play, which is clicking at a 28% efficiency. The biggest problem for the Jets in this one is that they are on a 17-game winless streak in Pittsburgh, which is all the more surprising when you see that this team is 6 games above .500 on the road this season.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.44
- Shots: 32.62
- PP/PK Percentage: 28.10
- Goals: 2.85
- Shots: 32.23
- PP/PK Percentage: 18.58
Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins?
This game will represent the midway point on the season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they are now finally beginning to show signs of the team that they have been over the past few seasons. The Penguins come into this one on a 7-game winning streak, as well as a run that has seen them win 9 of their last 10 games.
The Penguins are a lot like the Jets in terms of their offensive and defensive stats, but they have a bit of an edge in the penalty kill, where they are currently sitting in the top 5. Pittsburgh is 11-7-2 on home ice this season, but it is what they have done when Winnipeg comes to town that makes them such a big favorite for this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.50
- Shots: 32.53
- PP/PK Percentage: 27.03
- Goals: 2.92
- Shots: 32.92
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.07
Jets vs Penguins NHL Week 14 Betting Trends
- Winnipeg is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Winnipeg is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Winnipeg’s last 9 games on the road
- Pittsburgh is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
- Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh’s last 7 games at home
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Jets vs Penguins
While these are two very good teams, it is impossible to look beyond the total lack of success that Winnipeg has had when heading into Pittsburgh. I just don’t see them turning that around on Friday night.
Score: Winnipeg Jets 2 – Pittsburgh Penguins 4
