New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction, 2/2/2021 NHL Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins

Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Location: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: MSG+

Odds/Point Spread: Devils (+165) Penguins (-200)

Casey DeSmith and the Pittsburgh Penguins (5-3-1) host the New Jersey Devils (4-3-2) at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday. The Penguins open this matchup at -200 while the Devils are coming in at +165. The O/U opens at 6.5.

The Devils were on the winning side of the scoreboard with a 5 - 3 win against the Sabres in their previous contest. The Devils had a great offensive game plan going into this one and it showed in this win. In the game, they netted 5 out of the 37 shots they put on goal. Additionally, they had 3 power play attempts but weren't able to notch a goal in these power play chances. New Jersey racked up 8 penalty minutes in this outing. The Corsi for the Devils was 59 and the Corsi against was 46 which gave them a Corsi percentage of 56.2%. Their Fenwick was 50 while the Fenwick against sat at 39, telling us they have a rate of 56.2%. They took 22 face-off wins at even strength and were beaten on 31 tries to control the puck. The offensive zone starts for them came in at 60.1% and they had a PDO of 109.5 for this matchup. Concerning opponent stats, the Buffalo Sabres racked up a total of 33 shots. They had 6 penalty mins and they tallied 4 power play chances.

New Jersey Devils opponents have 34 power play tries (11th in the league) and have racked up 11 goals in those chances. The Devils have had 290 shots attempted against them and hold a save percentage of .917. New Jersey has attempted 267 shots and has a shooting percentage of 8.6%. While at even strength, the Devils let the opposition score 12 goals while scoring 20 as an offensive unit. New Jersey is sitting with 26 power play opportunities and they have notched 3 goals during those advantages, giving them a rate of 11.54%. For the current campaign, they have recorded 10 points and their points percentage comes in at .556. In the matter of their scoring capabilities, the New Jersey Devils have earned 23 goals (18th in pro hockey) so far this season and have surrendered 24.

The man in net for this game is Mackenzie Blackwood. In his professional hockey career, Blackwood has accounted for 3 quality starts and his quality starts rate sits at 1.000. He has a save percentage of .948 in his 190 mins between the pipes. Blackwood has seen 115 shots taken against him and has accrued 109 total saves. Opponents have scored 6 goals against Blackwood in his pro hockey career and his average for goals against per game is 1.90. He has amassed an overall record of 2-0-1 and he has gotten the start in 3 games. Blackwood has been involved in 3 contests over the course of his NHL career.

The Penguins opposed the Rangers in an outing where the Penguins earned a victory by a score of 5 - 4. Pittsburgh had a 59.6% Corsi rating. They wound up with that percentage by having a Corsi of 56 and they conceded a Corsi of 38. Their Fenwick rate came in at 58.7% by way of having a Fenwick of 44 and the Rangers having earned a 31 Fenwick at even strength. These Corsi stats tell us the story of the kind of game Pittsburgh had and it was a good performance overall. They had a PDO at even strength of 106.0 and they finished this one with an oZS percentage of 40.0%. The Penguins notched 5 goals of the 38 shots on goal they pursued. They had 4 power play opportunities in this outing but didn't put one in the back of the net. In discussing their opponent, the Rangers had 5 power play chances and ended up scoring 1 goal. Pittsburgh conceded 34 shots on goal and the Rangers racked up a total of 8 penalty minutes.

Pittsburgh has taken 256 shots (17th in hockey) and has accumulated a shot percentage of 10.55%, while allowing the other team 246 shots. They have earned a penalty kill percentage of 74.19% on the other teams 31 power play chances, and their save percentage sits at 10.5%. They have a tally of 31 power play chances and they have a power play rate of 16.13%. The Penguins have racked up 21 goals at even strength and 5 goals (21st in professional hockey) while on the power play. They have allowed 34 goals to be scored by way of 24 goals at even strength and 8 goals while they had less men on the ice. So far this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have earned 27 goals, 11 points, as well as a points percentage of .611.

On the other side of the ice you will find Casey DeSmith in goal. The opposition is averaging 3.05 goals per contest and he has allowed 12 goals altogether. He has been a starter 3 contests and has been on the ice for 236 mins. DeSmith is the owner of a career mark of 3-0-0 and has been in net for 4 games. He is sitting with 84 stops out of the 96 shots attempted, giving him a save percentage of .875.

Who will win tonight's NHL game ATS?

Guy's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (-200)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here