Betting NHL Online – Thursday NHL Selection
On Thursday evening, Pittsburgh will be at Atlanta and BetUS NHL odds moneyline favors the Pens only at -130, solidifying oddsmakers think the Thrashers will give one of the East-best all they can handle despite being 7-8-2 and Pittsburgh 11-4-3.
The Pens scored just 25 goals in their first 11 games but they’ve found its offensive stride in winning six straight while posting 30 goals during its moneyline winning streak, though, they failed to cash seven consective times after losing 2-1 in a shootout to Minnesota on Tuesday.
—Penguins are 25-8 in their last 33 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
—Penguins are 35-17 in their last 52 games playing on 1 days rest.
—Penguins are 0-4 in their last 4 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Much of oddsmakers underpricing on the Pens comes from them being 1-3-2 in six games at Philips Arena since the start of the 2005-06 season, and they’ve lost three straight there – two in shootouts. Sidney Crosby has scored four goals and two assists in his past three games in Atlanta. But Evgeni Malkin, the league’s leading scorer (seven goals, 23 assists) has only one assist in his past three trips there and hasn’t scored a goal in his last seven games overall against Atlanta.
—Penguins are 37-16 in their last 53 vs. Eastern Conference.
—Penguins are 6-2 in their last 8 vs. Southeast.
—Penguins are 46-22 in their last 68 vs. a team with a losing record.
—Penguins are 1-5 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Atlanta rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits at Philly on Sunday, tying the score at 3 in the third period. Despite being outshot 21-4 in the final frame, the Flyers scored to win 4-3, snapping Atlanta’s five-game winning streak. The Thrashers are a solid on home ice at 5-3-0, having won four of its last five at Philips Arena. Center Brian Little, Atlanta’s leading scorer (nine goals, eight assists), has a point in six straight games.
—Thrashers are 5-0 in their last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
—Thrashers are 5-1 in their last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.
—Thrashers are 9-26 in their last 35 vs. Atlantic.
—Thrashers are 5-14 in their last 19 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Both clubs will have backups in net. Pittsburgh starter Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t play on Tuesday against Minnesota because of an undisclosed injury and won’t play Thursday. Dany Sabourin will get his sixth start of the season, whose looked stout and more like a starter than backup. Sabourin is 3-1-1 with a 1.51 GAA, and three of his wins have come in shootouts.
Thrashers’ Johan Hedberg, who played three seasons with the Pens from 2000-2003, has started the last four games with starter Kari Lehtonen sidelined due to a bad back. Hedberg has made one career start against the Pens, resulting in a 4-3 overtime win in 2003 while playing with Vancouver.
Analysis: Pittsburgh will have the better goalie on the ice, combined with an offense that’s getting stronger with each game. As well, the Pens are 22-10 in the last 32 meetings. The Pens priced at -130, is a sports betting steal.
