10* NHL RIVALRY WINNER [90-61 RUN] - Thursday
- Handicapper
- Sean Murphy
- League
- NHL
- Competition
- Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
- Time
- 11/04/2021 07:08 PM
- Bet Type
- Moneyline
- Pick
-
Pittsburgh Penguins -145
(DraftKings)
- Outcome
- Win
- Analysis
- My selection is on Pittsburgh over Philadelphia at 7:05 pm et on Thursday.
PLEASE NOTE: We'll downgrade this play with the news that Sidney Crosby will be sidelined due to testing positive for Covid. I'm still on the Penguins in this spot but as a 6* play.
We missed with the Penguins in their most recent game as they fell by a 4-2 score in a late collapse against the Devils on home ice. That was of course Sidney Crosby's much-awaited season debut for the Pens. While it didn't go as they had hoped, I do expect them to bounce back against the rival Flyers on Thursday night. Note that Pittsburgh is in an excellent situation here having gone 17-3 the last 20 times it has played at home after giving up three goals or more in consecutive games over the last 2+ seasons, outscoring the opposition by 1.8 goals on average in that spot. The Flyers are fresh off a 3-0 home victory over the still-winless Coyotes on Tuesday. Note that Philadelphia is a woeful 9-19 the last 28 times it has come off a win, outscored by an average margin of 1.3 goals in that situation. Having won here in Pittsburgh by a 2-1 score last April, the Flyers will be looking to notch a second straight win at PPG Paints Arena. They haven't accomplished that feat since winning here in December 2018 and March 2019. I expect the Pens to avoid the same fate here. Take Pittsburgh (6*).