Red Wings vs Penguins Prediction, Odds & Player Prop Picks (Thursday, April 11th)

• The Detroit Red Wings face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
• The Thursday NHL odds favor the Penguins at home.
• Read below for Red Wings vs Penguins prediction, odds, and player prop picks.

Significant playoff implications are at stake when the Detroit Red Wings (38-32-8) travel to face the Pittsburgh Penguins (36-30-12) on Thursday Night Hockey. The puck is set to drop at 7:00 PM EST.

The Thursday NHL odds favor the Penguins to secure a victory at home, with the over/under set at six goals. NHL player props favor Sidney Crosby to continue his MVP-level of play.

Let’s dive into the Red Wings vs Penguins odds, analyze the odds, provide our prediction, and determine player props to bet on.

Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins Odds

In the Red Wings vs Penguins odds for Thursday, Pittsburgh is a -155 home favorite, giving them a 60.8% implied win probability.

The Pens and Red Wings are tied with 84 points each, one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Odds as of April 11, 2024, at Bet365 Sportsbook. Claim the Bet365 offer for new users to bet on Red Wings vs Penguins.

Red Wings Betting Trends

The Red Wings have alternated wins and losses over their past four games, including a crushing 2-1 defeat to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. Despite finding the back of the net only once, the Wings outshot the Caps 43-23 and controlled the game’s tempo.

Detroit boasts the league’s ninth-best offense, averaging 3.28 goals per contest. Three players, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond, have surpassed the 60-point mark this season. Patrick Kane, meanwhile, has been a key contributor with 20 goals and 24 assists.

Patrick Kane's 19th. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/aFVHt7lQY4

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 7, 2024

The Wings are vulnerable on defense, however, allowing 3.27 goals per contest. They rank in the bottom 10 in the league in that category, which is a primary reason they are fighting for a spot in the NHL Playoff Bracket.

The Wings are expected to call on Alex Lyon in goal against the Penguins. The former Flyers and Hurricanes netminder is 20-18-4 with a .908 save percentage and 2.96 GAA in 42 appearances this season.

Penguins Betting Trends

The Penguins, who were nine points out of a playoff spot in late March, have surged back into the postseason race with an impressive nine-game point streak. Sidney Crosby has emerged as a contender in the Hart Trophy odds as he tries to lead the Penguins on one more run before he eventually retires.

The Penguins haven’t been particularly dominant at either end of the ice this season, allowing 2.95 goals per contest (11th) while scoring 3.01 goals per game (20th). Crosby’s faceoff prowess, however, has given the Penguins the NHL’s best faceoff percentage (54.8%).

Sidney Crosby continues to be recognized as the most well-rounded player on the ice – the @Penguins captain has won or tied atop the #NHLPAPlayerPoll most complete player category for five straight seasons! pic.twitter.com/EjX9MS5QQT

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) April 10, 2024

Special teams have been an issue all year for Pittsburgh, mainly the power play. It’s clicking at just 14.3% efficiency, which is the worst rate in the NHL, behind only the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s hard to comprehend when you consider the unit features Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson.

Aside from the play of the ageless Crosby, Pittsburgh’s impressive run has been powered by goalie Alex Nedeljkovic. The 28-year-old has helped Pittsburgh earn a point in 23 of his 29 starts this season, although he’s given up seven goals in his past two games.

Red Wings vs Penguins Player Props

NHL Player props have been released for the Red Wings vs Penguins showdown on Thursday night. Sidney Crosby is the only player with a point projection above one. Dylan Larkin has the best odds to score a goal at +130.

NHL player prop odds as of Thursday, April 11, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim the DraftKings promo code to wager on NHL player props.

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Crosby recording multiple points is tempting at +170 odds, especially considering he put up a goal and an assist in the previous meeting and has 41 points in 34 career games against the Wings.

We are targeting his teammate, Rickard Rakell, however, as we feel the sniper is being undervalued. He’s averaged five shots in his two games against Detroit this season, and DraftKings is offering his shots on goal at 2.5 (-110 odds).

Rakell also thrives against Detroit in his career, recording 19 points in 20 career games against the Wings. With three goals in his past six contests, we love grabbing him as an anytime goalscorer at +280 odds.

Player Prop Picks:

• Rickard Rakell Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-110)
• Richard Rakell Anytime Goal (+280)

Red Wings vs Penguins Prediction

These teams are directly fighting with each other in the NHL Playoff race, making this essentially a four-point game. Pittsburgh’s home-ice advantage is notable for a high-stakes matchup like this one. The Penguins have won four straight games at PPG Paints Arena and beat Detroit 6-3 in the last meeting played here.

We like Pittsburgh to win a high-scoring affair on Thursday night. This rivalry has seen seven straight meetings produce at least six total goals scored. There’s enough offensive firepower on both rosters to challenge two goalies who have been vulnerable lately.

While Detroit beat Pittsburgh in Michigan early in the season, the Penguins still outshot the Red and White by a 33-29 margin. The advanced metrics clearly paint Pittsburgh as the better team over the past month (51.5xGF% vs 44.5xGF%), and they should secure the win at home tonight.

DET vs PIT Picks:

• Penguins Moneyline (-155)
• Over 6 Goals (-125)