The Winnipeg Jets will be hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins this online NHL betting evening. The Jets are having a hard time finding success in 2017 and look very much like last year's team that finished 5th in the division. The same goes for the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, who currently lead the Metropolitan. Let's take a look at what hockey sportsbooks have to say about Winnipeg's chances Thursday evening.
Candy, costumes, and a Canadian competitor.
The Penguins slide into this evening's contest sporting a 6-3-1 record that yields the franchise 13 points on the season. That tally is good enough to rank Pittsburgh 1st in the Metropolitan, one point ahead of the encroaching New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets – both of whom have 12 points on the season. Pittsburgh last stepped onto the ice this pat Tuesday when they faced the Edmonton Oilers and delivered a 2-1 finish in overtime. Hockey betting sites are siding with the Guins this evening, which is only natural considering the vast difference in each club's divisional rankings.
This season, the Penguins are giving up an unusual amount of goals. Right now, Pittsburgh ranks 30th in the NHL with an average of 4.0 goals allotted per game. This evening, they'll be going up against the league's 13th best scoring offense. That's not the most explosive numbers in the league, and since the Guins rank 2nd in power play percentage, they shouldn't have too much of a problem handling the Jets Thursday night. In the end, fans can expect Pittsburgh's leading goal earner, Sidney Crosby, to lead his team to a victory over Winnipeg.
The Jets fly into this Thursday night contest sporting a 4-3 record that yields the franchise 8 points on the year. Winnipeg hasn't had to go into extra time once this season, which is surprising but doesn't help us clarify how good or bad this club is this year. Nevertheless, Winnipeg's ranking in the Central Division certainly leads us to believe that they are more bad than good. The Jets currently rank penultimate in the division, 2 points ahead of the last place Minnesota Wild and 2 points behind the Nashville Predators and a flurry of other teams who have 10 points on the year. Winnipeg is coming off a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild that made it clear that they, at the very least, aren't the worst team in the Central Division.
To help upset the Penguins, the Jets will be turning to the team's leading point earner, Blake Wheeler. Wheeler has 8 points on the season, coming off 7 assists and 1 goal himself. Wheeler often connects with Nikolaj Ehlers, who leads the franchise in goals, so fans can keep an eye out for this connection tonight.