Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction, Preview and Odds - 03/31/2026

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Venue:  PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Red Wings -110, Penguins -110; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Red Wings -110, Penguins -110; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Red Wings -110, Penguins -110; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Detroit Red Wings:  39-26-8 (6th place, Atlantic Division)

Pittsburgh Penguins:  36-21-16 (3rd place, Metropolitan Division)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! William Burns is on a HOT STREAK in the NHL on a 17-8 NHL RUN for +$7,340 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Detroit Red Wings:  4-5-1 last 10

Pittsburgh Penguins:  4-4-2 last 10

The Red Wings are entering this game with 86 points, a 39-26-8 record overall, and they are 19-12-5 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Philadelphia Flyers in their last game, losing that one at home 5-3. Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and Mason Appleton each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Moritz Seider and Patrick Kane each led the team in assists with 2 while Alex DeBrincat led the team in shots on net in that game with 8. John Gibson was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 21 shots with 17 saves and a .810 save percentage before getting pulled and replaced by Cam Talbot who stopped all 4 shots he faced. Their offense has scored 215 goals this season averaging 2.9 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 218 goals against them allowing 3 goals per game.

The Penguins are entering this game with 88 points, a 36-21-16 record overall, and they are 17-12-8 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Dallas Stars in their last game, losing that one at home 6-3, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the New York Islanders still to be played on Monday night. In their game against the Stars, Erik Karlsson, Anthony Mantha, and Noel Acciari each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Erik Karlsson led the team in assists with 2 while Egor Chinakhov led the team in shots on net in that game with 3. Stuart Skinner was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 24 shots with 20 saves and a .833 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 250 goals this season averaging 3.4 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 234 goals against them allowing 3.2 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Red Wings listed as a pick 'em in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Red Wings have looked good in their games this season with their 39-26-8 record overall, but that record has them in the bottom half of their division in the East. They have been a good road team though with their 19-12-5 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Penguins have looked good in their games this season with their 36-21-16 record overall which has them in the top half of their division in the East. They haven't looked great on home ice though with their 17-12-8 home record this season. The Penguins have had some trouble on home ice this season and they haven't looked that great lately either. They are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and they are off a 6-3 loss to the Stars at home in their last one. They aren't in a great situation here either, playing this game on a back-to-back with a really tough game against the Islanders the night before. That game is really important for their division with the current standings too, so the Penguins aren't going to have their best effort here the very next night. The Red Wings haven't looked any better lately as they are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and they were in a playoff spot weeks ago, but lately they have been sliding down the standings with more losses. They are still right in the Wild Card race with 86 points though and they are going to be the more rested team here, so look for the Red Wings to bring their best effort here to bounce back from a loss against the Flyers in their last one as this is a game they need to win with so few left in the season. The best way to place a bet here is on the Red Wings to win this game. 

Red Wings Penguins Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Red Wings 3 Penguins 2.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert hockey picks today. And if you enjoyed this Detroit Red Wings Pittsburgh Penguins prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NHL predictions and previews.

Detroit Red Wings: 119-118 (+6.4 units) on the moneyline in all games. 41-33 (+13.5 units) on the moneyline revenging a same season loss vs opponent. 112-109 (+10.2 units) on the moneyline against mistake free teams - opponents average 4 power plays/game or less. 47-32 OVER as a favorite.

Pittsburgh Penguins: 108-129 (-22.9 units) on the moneyline in all games. 43-47 (-21.1 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -200 or less. 99-121 (-23.7 units) on the moneyline against mistake free teams - opponents average 4 power plays/game or less. 28-18 OVER as a home favorite of -200 or less.

Detroit Red Wings:  C. Talbot (G) Day To Day - Undisclosed. M. Rasmussen (C) Out - Undisclosed.

Pittsburgh Penguins:  S. Crosby (C) Day To Day - Lower-body. E. Malkin (C) Day To Day - Upper-body. B. Lizotte (C) Out - Upper-Body. F. Hallander (C) Out - Leg.

“We’re not getting tricked by the three goals at the end of the night. This was a disappointing response to getting a big win (5-2) last night in Buffalo.” - Todd McLellan after his team’s loss against the Flyers in their game on Saturday. 

“We focus in on what we can control. I don’t think anybody is going to walk out of today feeling good about our game. We’ve got to be better. It’s all of us, myself included.” - Dan Muse after his team’s loss against the Stars in their game on Saturday.

LW Emmitt Finnie

C Dylan Larkin

RW Lucas Raymond

LD Simon Edvinsson

RD Moritz Seider

G John Gibson

LW Rickard Rakell

C Sidney Crosby

RW Bryan Rust

LD Parker Wotherspoon

RD Erik Karlsson

G Arturs Silovs

Points: Alex DeBrincat (78)

Goals: Alex DeBrincat (37)

Assists: Lucas Raymond (47)

GAA: John Gibson (2.58)

Points: Sidney Crosby (64)

Goals: Sidney Crosby (28)

Assists: Erik Karlsson (47)

GAA: Stuart Skinner (2.99)

Coaches:

Detroit Red Wings: Todd McLellan (2nd season)

Pittsburgh Penguins: Dan Muse (1st season)