- What: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
- Date: Monday, January 8, 2024
- Location: Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: NHL Network, NBCSP, SN-PIT
A Metropolitan Conference matchup takes place tonight when Pennsylvania rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers, meet at Philly’s Wells Fargo Center. The Eastern Conference teams enter the matchup with the Flyers in sixth place in the conference and the Penguins in the No. 11 spot. Philly sports a 20-13-6 record heading into tonight’s game, while the Pens are 19-15-4.
The Pittsburgh Penguins (19-15-4) finished the 2023 NHL campaign outside the playoffs with a record of 40-31-11. The Penguins’ new general manager, Kyle Dubas, made a preseason blockbuster trade when he picked up reigning Norris Trophy winner defenseman Erik Karlsson. That move signaled that the team was serious about making another run to the Stanley Cup with the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
As for the Philadelphia Flyers (20-13-6), there was hope that head coach John Tortorella, team president Keith Jones, and GM Daniel Briere would improve on last year’s 31-38-13 record in 2024. With 46 games played this year, the Flyers are 11 victories short of matching last year’s total in wins, and the team is in the hunt for a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for tonight’s NHL matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, check out our betting picks to win the 2024 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers betting picks – January 8, 2024
Pittsburgh Penguins betting breakdown
The Pittsburgh Penguins were inconsistent in the early going of the 2024 NHL season. The club was 11-12-3 with 25 points as of December 10. However, after that point, the Pens have been one of the better NHL clubs. Since losing four straight between December 2 and 8, Pittsburgh has gone 8-3-1. The club’s three-game winning streak ended on January 2, when they fell 4-3 to the Washington Capitals. Since that loss, the team is 1-2, and coming off a 3-1 setback to the Buffalo Sabres at home on Saturday.
Jake Guentzel leads the Penguins in scoring with 43 points this season. He is also tops on the team in assists with 25. Sidney Crosby is the top goal scorer for Pittsburgh with 22. Crosby is second on the team in points with 41. Alex Nedeljkovic and Tristan Jarry have split the goaltending load over the last 10 games the Penguins have played. Jarry was in net for the Pens’ loss to Buffalo. Jarry is likely to get the nod for the Flyers start. He has a 2.60 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
The Penguins have scored 117 goals this year and given up 105. Pittsburgh ranks 26th in the NHL on the power play (14.6 percent) and eighth in penalty kill (83.1 percent.) The Penguins are 9-7-3 on the road on the 2024 NHL season.
Pittsburgh Flyers betting breakdown
Many pundits picked the Philadelphia Flyers to finish the 2024 NHL season near or at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Barring a complete team collapse, that’s not going to happen, and if the team keeps playing like it has through the first half of the campaign, the Flyers are likely to make the 2024 NHL playoffs. The last time the club played in the postseason was in 2020 when they fell to the NY Islanders in the Eastern Conference semifinals in seven games.
A young core leads Philadelphia. The Flyers top scorer is Travis Konecny, who has 36 points for the team. The 26-year-old winger is also the top goal scorer on the team with 21. Travis Sanheim is the team leader in assists with 21. Joel Farabee is Philly’s second-leading scorer with 29 points (12G, 17A). Carter Hart is the team’s starting goalie. Hart has a 10-7-3 record to go with a 2.63 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. Hart and the Flyers are coming off a 3-2 home win over the Calgary Flames on Saturday. The victory ended a four-game losing skid for the Flyers (0-3-1).
The Flyers are the worst team in the NHL on the power play, with a success rate of 10.2 percent. Meanwhile, the team’s penalty kill ranks second in the league at 86.2 percent. The Flyers have scored 116 goals this season and surrendered 109. The team is 9-7-2 on home ice.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers betting trends
The Penguins have been dominant in the past 10 meetings between these teams, going 7-1-2. During that stretch, the Flyers have averaged 2.50 goals per game, while the Penguins scored an average of 3.90 goals per contest. The teams played a home and home in December. Philly won both those contests, beating Pittsburgh 4-3 in the shootout on the road and then topping the Pens 2-1 in overtime at home.
The Penguins have scored four or more goals in five of their last 10 games, while the Flyers have scored three or fewer goals in eight of their past 10 outings.
Best bets for Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Don’t let the outcome of the two games earlier this season influence your betting on tonight’s NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins are playing better than the Flyers right now, and they have a more robust offense and stronger goaltending heading into this matchup. The betting pick is for the Penguins to beat the Flyers tonight in Philly.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
