This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks and Props for Penguins at Hurricanes
The Pittsburgh Penguins (20-15-5) travel to meet the Carolina Hurricanes (23-13-5) on Saturday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN+.
The Penguins have been a bit erratic lately, going just 2-2-1 across the past five games after a nice 5-0-1 run from Dec. 18-31 to close out the previous calendar year. If the New Year's Resolution was to find more consistency, Pittsburgh has already failed.
The Hurricanes had their faithful worried, getting off to an awfully sluggish start to the season by their standards lately. However, the Canes kicked off a hot streak with a 5-2 win against the Nashville Predators on the road Dec. 27, and Carolina has posted a 6-0-1 mark in the past seven games, with the lone blemish coming in a 2-1 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues last Saturday. Carolina pounded the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday to get right back on track.
Good goaltending has steadied the ship in Raleigh, as it usually does everywhere in hockey. Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta have both been giving head coach Rod Brind'Amour some solid play between the pipes lately, as Carolina has allowed three or fewer goals in each of the past seven outings.
Raanta (8-5-2, 3.27 GAA, .862 SV%, 1 SO) is projected to get the starting nod for the Canes in this one, as Kochetkov is in the concussion protocol and out indefinitely. Raanta, previously banished to waivers due to some uneven play earlier in the season, has looked rejuvenated. He'll be backed up by Yaniv Perets, recalled from ECHL Norfolk as the emergency backup option.
The Pens figure to counter with Tristan Jarry (11-12-3, 2.56 GAA, .913 SV%, 4 SO). He has allowed three or fewer goals in each of his past four starts and five appearances. Jarry was on the short end of a 4-3 OT loss against the Vancouver Canucks, coming on in relief for the ineffective Alex Nedeljkovic, a former Cane.
One thing of note, the Penguins have lost four straight appearances in overtime, which ties a franchise record. So if there is a close game, just for fun, keep an eye on that.
The Canes have dominated this series lately, winning five of the past six meetings, and eight of the past 10 battles. The Under is also 5-1 in the previous six, while the total has gone low in the past four skates in Raleigh. Play Carolina, and the Under, and feel confidently in doing so.
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NHL Money Line Bets for Penguins at Hurricanes
- Hurricanes ML (-150 at BetMGM)
Like the results on the scoreboard, the Over-Under results for the Penguins have been a bit up and down lately. The total cashed high in a 4-3 OTL against the Canucks last time out, but the Under hit in a 4-1 road win at Philadelphia in the most recent road game. Of course, the Over is 5-1 in the past six road games for the Pens. Then again, prior to that, the total had gone low in six straight road games from Nov. 18-Dec. 8, including a 4-2 loss in Raleigh in the most recent visit to Carolina.
In the first two meetings this season, we had that Under at PNC Arena between these teams, and a 2-1 SOW by the Pens at home on Dec. 21, as Nedeljkovic outdueled Kochetkov. In fact, the Under has hit at a 6-1-1 clip in the past eight meetings in this series. The Under has cashed in six straight meetings in Raleigh, too, with the most recent Over result between the Pens and Canes coming way back on Feb. 23, 2018.
NHL Totals Bets for Penguins at Hurricanes
- Under 6.5 (-110 at Caesars)
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NHL Player Props for Penguins at Hurricanes
The player props have been quite the chore lately. Full disclosure, I just haven't had a lot of success lately despite backing the selections with sound statistical evidence. That being said, we soldier on, and have a couple of decent plays for each side on Saturday night. Let's get back on track!
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For the Pens, Rickard Rakell has been on a heater since the ball dropped to ring in 2024, as he has lit the lamp in three of his five games since Jan. 2, while posting three goals and five points during the span. The Swedish veteran has done good work on the power play, with two of his three goals during the span coming on the man advantage. Let's roll the dice on at least one power-play point, shall we?
- Rickard Rakell Over 0.5 Power-Play Points (+270 at BetMGM)
For the home side, Sebastian Aho has been bringing the heat on offense. He has three goals and a ridiculous 17 points across the past eight games, as he and Andrei Svechnikov (8 G, 7 A past 8 GP) have been carrying Carolina almost single-handedly. Despite the hot streak, Svech is still a value to simply log one helper.
- Sebastian Aho Over 0.5 Points (-125 at BetMGM)
