Pittsburgh Penguins vs Arizona Coyotes Prediction, 1/8/2023 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Arizona Coyotes

Date: Sunday, January 8, 2023

Location: ASU Multi-Purpose Arena in Tempe, AZ

TV: Fox Sports Arizona

Odds/Point Spread: Penguins (-240) Coyotes (+195)

The Arizona Coyotes (13-20-5) are hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins (19-13-6) at ASU Multi-Purpose Arena on Sunday. The line on this matchup has Pittsburgh at -240 while Arizona is coming in at +195. The betting total comes in at 6.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be looking to get a win in their next outing after their 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights in their previous outing. Pittsburgh earned 2 mins in the box in this contest. Additionally, they had 3 opportunities with more players on the ice but weren't able to score a goal. The Penguins had an offensive game that was below their expectations in this loss. For the matchup, they converted 2 of the 40 shots they put on goal.

Get all of our NHL Betting Picks

With respect to their goal scoring prowess, the Pittsburgh Penguins have notched 123 goals (17th in the National Hockey League) for the season and have surrendered 116. For the current season, they have racked up 44 points and their points percentage is sitting at .579. Pittsburgh has accounted for 130 power play chances and they have notched 28 goals out of those tries, giving them a percentage of 21.54%. When at even strength, the Penguins have conceded 96 goals while having 95 on the offensive side of the ice. Pittsburgh has tried 1,227 shots and has a shooting percentage of 10.0%. The Penguins thus far have had 1,282 shots taken against them and have earned a save percentage of .910. Pittsburgh Penguins opponents have earned 122 power play opportunities (17th in the NHL) and have tallied 20 goals in those chances.

The man protecting the net in this game is Casey DeSmith. DeSmith has been involved in 110 contests over the course of his NHL career. He has amassed an overall mark of 47-36-13 and got the start in 95 games. The opposition has racked up 274 goals versus DeSmith in his career and his goals against average is 2.73. DeSmith has seen 3,188 shots taken against him and has recorded 2,914 saves. His save percentage currently is at .914 for his 6,015 minutes between the pipes. In his professional hockey career, DeSmith has accounted for 52 quality starts and his rate for quality starts is .547.

In their last outing, Arizona faced off against the Blackhawks in an outing where the Coyotes ended up taking the loss by a final of 2-0. They had 1 opportunity on the power play in this matchup but weren't able to score a goal. The Coyotes scored 0 goals of the 22 shots on goal they attempted.

The Coyotes have 81 goals at even strength and 25 goals (22nd in professional hockey) while on the power play. Arizona has tried 949 shots (32nd in pro hockey) and has accumulated a shot percentage of 11.17%, while allowing the other team 1,313 shots. On the campaign, the Arizona Coyotes have earned 106 goals, 31 points, and a points percentage of .408. They have granted a total of 139 goals to be scored by way of 99 goals at even strength and 40 goals while they were shorthanded. They have a total of 121 chances on the power play and they have accumulated a power play rate of 20.66%. They have a penalty kill rate of 72.41% on the other teams 145 power play opportunities, and their save percentage currently sits at 89.4%.

On the other side of the ice you are likely to see Karel Vejmelka defending the goal. His opponents are averaging 3.55 goals per game and he has allowed 263 goals altogether. Vejmelka's quality start rate comes out to 46.1% and he has 35 quality starting assignments in his career. He has been a starter 76 contests and has played for a total of 4,447 mins. Vejmelka is sitting with a career mark of 24-44-7 and has been in net for 80 contests. He has gathered 2,363 stops out of the 2,626 shots attempted against him, which gives him a percentage of .900.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (-240)

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