Penguins vs Hurricanes Odds, Predictions and Best NHL Pick for Friday (Mar 4)

• The Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, March 4th
• Carolina is listed as -159 home favorites in the Friday NHL odds
• Read below for Penguins vs Hurricanes odds, predictions and best NHL pick

A huge Eastern Conference NHL matchup on on Friday, March 4th pits the Pittsburgh Penguins (34-14-8) against the Carolina Hurricanes (37-12-5). The puck drops at 7pm ET at PNC Arena.

The Hurricanes are being listed as -159 home favorites in the Friday NHL odds. The game total is set at 6.5 with both teams boasting dynamic offenses.

Let’s take a look at the Penguins vs Hurricanes odds and offer you our NHL best bet prediction for the big game.

Penguins vs Hurricanes Odds 

Odds as of March 3rd at Barstool Sportsbook.

The Hurricanes are listed on the puck line at +155 odds, while the Penguins are -195 to keep the game within two goals. Both teams are top-10 contenders in the 2022 Stanley Cup odds.

Hurricanes Home Favorites in Friday NHL Odds

The Hurricanes are available at -159 on the moneyline against the Penguins. This gives them a 61.4% implied probability of getting the victory. Carolina owns an impressive 19-4-2 home record at PNC Arena in 2021-22.

The Hurricanes enter Friday’s NHL matchup sporting a 6-2-2 record in their past 10 games. They were in action on the road against Washington on Thursday, losing to the Caps 4-0. Starting goalie Frederik Andersen played that game, so backup Antti Raanta should start Friday.

LET'S GO BOYS!! pic.twitter.com/iIuMeiGxUG

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 3, 2022

Carolina’s defense is the primary reason the Canes lead the entire Eastern Conference with 79 points in 53 contests. The Hurricanes are only allowing an NHL-best 2.38 goals per game. In Carolina’s two most recent home games last weekend, they allowed a total of one goal.

Carolina’s defense is superb, but the offense is taking care of business as well. The Canes are averaging 3.47 goals per game, which is sixth-best in the league. Forward Teuvo Teravainen has a nine-game point streak, while Sebastian Aho has at least one point in seven straight games.

Penguins Offer Road Underdog Value

The Penguins are listed as +132 road underdogs against the Hurricanes in the Friday NHL odds. This gives them a 43.1%  implied probability of beating Rod Brind’Amour’s club. Pittsburgh has posted an impressive 19-6-3 road record in 2021-22.

The Penguins enter Friday’s game having won seven of their past 10 games. Just like Carolina, Pittsburgh was in action Thursday night. The Pens beat the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning by a 5-1 score at Amalie Arena.

Ten of Heinen's 12 goals this season have been scored on the road. pic.twitter.com/a9bRLttHs3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 4, 2022

Pittsburgh’s biggest strength this season has been defense, as the rank fourth in the NHL in goals against average (2.60). Starting netminder Tristan Jarry has played a large role in that success. Jarry started Thursday, so backup Casey Desmith is Friday’s projected starting NHL goalie.

Offensively, the Penguins are averaging 3.20 goals per game, which is 10th-best in the NHL. Pittsburgh has one of the NHL’s best 1-2 center punches in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Geno, in particular, is heating up with four goals in his past five contests.

Penguins vs Hurricanes Prediction & Pick

This is an interesting betting situation with the Penguins and Hurricanes each playing the second half of a back-to-back. If both backup goalies DeSmith (.903 SV%) and Raanta (.908 SV%) start, we should see our fair share of goals.

Taking a look a recent head-to-head history, it’s clear one side has the momentum. Carolina has taken four of the past five meetings, including the most recent one on Feb. 22. There’s been at least seven goals scored in each of the past two matchups.

Penguins vs Hurricanes Recent Results

Potential fatigue shouldn’t be an issues here, as the Canes are 30-12 in their last 42 games playing on 0 days rest. The Pens, meanwhile, have won four of their last five games playing on no rest. Here are few other betting trends to keep in mind for Pittsburgh vs Carolina:

• Penguins are 18-5 in their last 23 road games
• Hurricanes are 42-17 in their last 59 home games
• Favorite is 12-5 in the last 17 meetings

This is a battle of strength-on-strength with Pittsburgh being excellent on the road and Carolina being superb at home. With both teams boasting offensive firepower and likely starting backup goalies, this should be another high-scoring chapter in this rivalry. Pennsylvania online sports betting market lists the over at -110 at 6.5.

Pick: Over 6.5 (-110)