Monday night’s slate of hockey games will feature a marquee matchup between two of the best squads in the NHL when the Anaheim Ducks face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ironically, both teams will be entering their matchup on a bit of a slump with a combined 1-7 record over the last eight games. The Penguins have lost four of their last five, while the Ducks are on a three-game skid of their own. It’s a testament to how well both squads have been playing that each could go on an extended losing streak and still sit near the top their respective divisions.

Pittsburgh can blame their problems on a non-existent offense that has only managed to score one goal in each of their last four losses. Anaheim, on the other hand, can probably place most of the blame for their slump on an extended road trip that has already seen the team play their last three games away from the Honda Center. The Ducks are in the middle of a stretch where they will play seven of 10 games on the road. Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup between the Ducks at Penguins and figure out which side of the wager has the most value to bet on.

Ducks at Penguins Betting Story Lines

Pittsburgh has been the NHL’s top-scoring team for the past two years, but they can hardly score a goal over the last five games. During the first month of the season the team outshot their opponents by 94 attempts, yet through the first two weeks of November they have only taken 12 more shots than their opposition. Much of the blame has fallen on the Penguin’s former Most Valuable Players Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Malkin has only taken nine shots in seven games this month and has only scored three goals on the season. Crosby has been more productive offensively, but he has only one goal and one assist during the team’s last five games.

Anaheim’s problem has been a combination of playing on the road and a lack of motivation after dominating the first month and a half of the season. The team is coming off of an 8-0-1 stretch that helped propel them to the top of the Pacific Division. However, since then the Ducks have lost three in a row and allowed 11 goals during that span. One area that Anaheim will be looking to improve is on their power plays. The team currently ranks 26th in power-play percentage and has only scored two power-play goals on the road all season.

Both squads have performed well against the puckline and have been a solid investment for bettor this season. The Ducks have a 14-8 puckline record and have earned bettors $656 through 22 games this year. The Penguins have a 9-11 puckline record, but they have still managed to squeak out a profit of $301 on the season. 

Ducks at Penguins NHL Betting Odds and Key Trends

Pittsburgh opened as a -163 moneyline favorite over the +148 moneyline underdog Ducks, according to BetOnline. The total was set at five goals, with the “over” favored at -131. Anaheim is 5-0 during their last five matchups played on two day’s rest and has also won four of their last five against the Metropolitan Division. The team has won 15 of their last 21 games and typically bounces back with a big game after failing to score more than two goals during their previous matchup. The Ducks are 8-3 following those situations.

Pittsburgh has not lost to a team from the Pacific Division during their last four matchups and has an 8-2 record against the Western Conference over their last 10 games. The Penguins also have a 2-6 record in their next game after scoring two goals or fewer in their previous matchup. Head-to-head, the home team is 8-2 during the last 10 meetings between the two teams, while the Ducks are 1-4 during the last five games played in Pittsburgh.

NHL Predictions: Ducks at Penguins Betting Picks

Monday night’s matchup has the potential to be a Stanley Cup preview. However, neither team is thinking that far ahead at the moment, and both are simply looking to score a much-needed win. The Ducks are in the middle of their first three-game losing streak of the season, but they will head back to Anaheim after their matchup against Pittsburgh. Expect the Ducks to be road-weary and tired after being away from their home arena for over a week. This matchup should have more meaning to Pittsburgh, who might feel the need to protect their home-ice advantage against another title contender. The team also knows that their offense is in a slump and will be looking to correct those mistakes in the comfort of their own arena. Take Pittsburgh on the moneyline.

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Read more articles by George Monroy