Jets vs Penguins Predictions: Best Picks, Odds, and Starting Goalies

• The Pittsburgh Penguins are slight -154 home favorites when they host the Winnipeg Jets Saturday
• Winnipeg has won four straight in this head-to-head matchup
• See my Jets vs Penguins prediction, including the latest odds and starting goalies below

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Hanging on for dear life in the West’s Wild Card chase, the Winnipeg Jets (28-29-11, 11-16-5 away) are in Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins (34-18-16, 16-9-8 home).

Pittsburgh, currently second in the Metropolitan Division, are back from a successful and lengthy road trip, picking up points in four of five games. They’re a slight betting favorite for this matinee in the NHL odds.

Winnipeg, meanwhile, starts the day five points back of the final Wild Card berth out West, and coming off a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the Boston Bruins.

Action gets underway at 1pm ET at PPG Paints Arena in Pitttsburgh, with NHL Network carrying the broadcast coverage.

Jets vs Penguins Predictions and Best Bets

• Best Bet: OVER 6.0 Goals (+110 at bet365)

Both of these rosters have been absolute magnets for the over.

Pittsburgh has seen the Over has cashed in seven straight games. They’re also especially high-scoring when coming off a loss, hitting the Over in four straight following a defeat. They are coming off a 6-5 OT loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The scoring has been potent at home as well, with six of Pittsburgh’s last eight going Over the total as a betting favorite.

Winnipeg’s defensive struggles have fueled similar high-scoring outcomes on the road, cashing the Over at 6.5 goals in eight of its last 10 on the road as the betting underdog, and nine of their 13 overall as a dog.

• Moneyline Lean: Penguins (-154 at FanDuel)

The home team offers a much safer floor than the struggling visitors.

While the Jets have won the last four head-to-head matchups, it’s superseded by their struggles on the road. They have just three wins in the last 18 away games as the betting underdog. Coming off a loss, like the did to Boston, isn’t encouraging either: The Jets are just 3-10 straight up following a loss over their last 13.

The Penguins have rolled to wins in five of their last eight at home. They’ll also have their two veteran stars in the lineup, as captain Sidney Crosby recently returned from an MCL sprain to post a two-point night, while Evgeni Malkin returned from suspension to light the lamp twice in his first game back.

Jets vs. Penguins Odds

Odds as of March 20. The interactive table above will automatically update as the NHL odds move over the course of the day.

The Penguins enter this contest as the betting favorites at -154 on the moneyline, while a Winnipeg road win pays out at +136 currently on DraftKings.

Winnipeg is getting 1.5 goals on the puckline, but at just -190 odds, while Pittsburgh winning by two or more goals pays out at +165 over at bet365.

Over betters should head to bet365, where the total is set to six goals, while Under bettors gain an extra half goal at DraftKings.

Jets vs Penguins Starting Matchup: Hellebuyck vs Skinner

Based on the latest depth charts, the projected starting goaltenders are Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets and Stuart Skinner for the Penguins.

A closer look at the season-long metrics for both netminders further illustrates why bettors should expect a high-event outcome. Neither goaltender has posted elite numbers this year.

Hellebuyck has been an absolute workhorse, taking the crease 46 times, but the heavy volume has not translated to his usual dominance. He currently owns a .898 save percentage and an uncharacteristic 17-19-10 record.

For the home squad, Skinner has pieced together a respectable 9-5-5 record, largely buoyed by commanding offensive run support. Looking at his individual performance reveals plenty of vulnerability; he enters this matchup with a subpar .889 save percentage.