Flyers vs Penguins Prediction, Picks, Odds & H2H History (Thursday, January 15)

• The Flyers visit Pittsburgh on Thursday night on the second half of a back-to-back
• Philadelphia has lost four straight and is 1-7 in the last eight meetings in Pittsburgh
• See my Flyers vs Penguins prediction and player props for Thursday’s 7:00 PM ET matchup on ESPN

The Philadelphia Flyers (22-15-8) visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (21-14-10) on Thursday night in the Battle of Pennsylvania. Both teams are stuck in losing streaks and sit within a point of each other in the Metropolitan Division standings.

Philly played in Buffalo last night and lost 5-2. Dan Vladar left that game with an injury after one period, meaning Samuel Ersson gets the start tonight on zero rest. That’s a brutal situation against a Penguins team that’s been playing well despite their 0-2-1 stretch.

Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET from PPG Paints Arena. ESPN has the broadcast.

Here’s my Flyers vs Penguins prediction and picks, along with the latest odds and H2H history to know.

Flyers vs Penguins Prediction

Picks:

• Penguins ML (-165 at BetMGM)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-120 at BetMGM)

The Penguins are worth the juice here. Pittsburgh has lost three straight, but all three were one-goal games, and they’ve allowed just four total goals during that stretch. This isn’t a team falling apart. They just can’t buy a goal right now.

The Flyers, on the other hand, are in rough shape. They’ve dropped four straight and got outscored 17-5 in their last three losses. Now they’re playing the second half of a back-to-back with their backup goalie who just played two periods in relief last night.

Samuel Ersson has struggled all season. He’s 6-7-4 with a 3.32 GAA and .855 save percentage. Stuart Skinner has been the opposite for Pittsburgh, allowing just one goal in each of his last four starts while posting a .955 save percentage. That goaltending gap is massive in a rivalry game.

🗣️ STUUUUUUUU!

Stuart Skinner is riding a three-game winning streak of his own, and since the NHL's holiday break leads the league in goals-against average and save percentage. pic.twitter.com/MxzzP8mmLg

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) January 9, 2026

The situational stuff all points to Pittsburgh too. The Penguins are 5-0 in their last five against the Metro and 20-6 in their last 26 Thursday games. The Flyers are 1-7 in their last eight trips to PPG Paints Arena. Home team has won 20 of the last 28 meetings between these clubs.

I’m also taking the under. Pittsburgh has seen the under hit in four straight games, and their recent offensive struggles combined with strong defensive play point to a low-scoring grind. The Pens have allowed just four goals in three games. I don’t expect Ersson to steal this one on a back-to-back.

Player Prop Picks

Evgeni Malkin Over 0.5 Points (-162)

Malkin has found the scoresheet in five of his last six games and scored the lone Penguins goal against Tampa on Tuesday. He’s been Pittsburgh’s most productive player during their slump, and he has a history of elevating after losses.

He’s recorded at least one point in 12 of his last 14 games following a Pittsburgh defeat, an 86% hit rate. Against Philadelphia specifically, Malkin has posted three or more shots in two of his last three matchups and scored twice. The juice is there, but so is the track record.

Trevor Zegras Over 0.5 Points (-140)

Zegras leads the Flyers with 18 goals and 42 points. He scored in last night’s loss to snap a three-game pointless streak, so he’s coming in with some confidence.

More importantly, he owns Pittsburgh. Zegras has registered points in four consecutive games against the Penguins, a perfect 100% hit rate in this matchup. Even in a game where I’m backing the Pens, getting Zegras at -140 to record a point feels like value.

Flyers vs Penguins Odds

The Penguins are heavy -165 home favorites on BetMGM, which implies a 59.7% win probability. Philadelphia comes back at +148 (best price on Caesars), giving them an implied 44.4% chance to pull the upset.

The puck line has Pittsburgh at -1.5 (+155). Given the Flyers’ back-to-back situation and goaltending issues, there’s a case for the Pens to win by multiple. But rivalry games are weird, so I’m sticking with the moneyline.

Odds as of Jan. 15 at consensus NHL betting apps. Check out the best sports betting app for the NHL.

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Flyers vs Penguins Head-to-Head History

This is the third meeting of the season between these Pennsylvania rivals. They split the first two games in Philadelphia, with the Flyers winning 3-2 in a shootout on October 28 and the Penguins taking a 5-1 win on December 1.

The historical trends heavily favor Pittsburgh at home. The Penguins are 7-1 in the last eight meetings at PPG Paints Arena, and the home team has won 20 of the last 28 games in this rivalry overall. The over is also 20-7-2 in the last 29 meetings in Pittsburgh, though both teams’ recent form points to a lower-scoring game tonight.

Recent Meetings

Pittsburgh has won five of the last eight meetings overall. The teams will meet one more time this season on March 7 in Pittsburgh.