Winnipeg Jets Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Odds, Picks, and Predictions (1/23/22)
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Coming off a 3-2 loss against the Bruins in Boston on Saturday, 1/22, the Winnipeg Jets travels to Pittsburgh to play the Penguins on Sunday, 1/23. In the loss to the Bruins, Andrew Copp and Jansen Harkins scored the Jets only goals of the game. Winnipeg is 17-14-6 with 40 points, sixth in the Central Division. Pittsburgh is coming off a 5-2 road victory over Columbus on Friday, 1/21, outscoring the Blue Jackets 3-0 in the third period. In the Penguins fourth straight win, Sidney Crosby scored his 15th career hat trick, his first since November 28, 2018. Mike Matheson added two points in the contest, including scoring his fifth game-winning goal of the season at 5:35 of the third period. Pittsburgh is 25-10-5 with 55 points, second in the Metropolitan Division.
Winnipeg Jets Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Odds
The Jets are -180 to not make the playoffs this season as we head to the final full week of January. Winnipeg is 7-8-5 on the road this year. The Jets are 5-27 in the last 32 meetings in Pittsburgh. In the matchup between Winnipeg and Pittsburgh the road team is 4-1 in the last five meetings. The Penguins are 8-2 in their last 10 games vs. Western Conference foes. Entering the season Pittsburgh was listed as +1800 to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history. As we barrel towards the All-Star break, they’re currently listed as +1500 to win the championship.
Winnipeg Jets Betting Odds
Kyle Connor leads the Jets in scoring this season with 40 points (21 goals and 19 assists). He has 12 points on the power play in 2021-22 (three goals and nine assists). The former Michigan Wolverine has scored over 30 goals in three different seasons, scoring 152 total goals in his six-year career. Pierre-Luc Dubois who came over from Columbus last season is second on the team in scoring with 29 points (17 goals and 12 assists). He’s tied with Kyle Connor for the team lead in game winning goals with three this season and leads the club in power play goals with eight. Center Mark Scheifele has 27 points on the year (10 goals and 17 assists). In his 11th season, he has nine points on the power play (three goals and six assists). Andrew Copp who’s a +4 on the season is a solid player; he has 27 points in 37 games this campaign (11 goals and 16 assists). Left wing Adam Lowry has played in 37 games this year and leads the team in hits with over 100 hits. Additionally, Lowry has chipped in seven points on the season (three goals and four assists).
Nate Schmidt leads all Winnipeg defensemen in points with 18 (one goal and 17 assists). In his first season as a Jet, he has blocked at least 45 shots and has over 20 hits. Neal Pionk is the second leading scorer amongst Jets defensemen this season with 17 points (two goals and 15 assists). He has more than 80 hits and 35 blocked shots this year. Pionk is a +6 and has seven points on the power play this season (one goal and six assists). Brenden Dillion who was in COVID-19 protocols returned on Saturday against the Bruins. In 2021-22, he leads the Jets defensemen in hits with more than 90. The big defenseman is a +12, leading Winnipeg and has nine points on the season (one goal and eight assists). Josh Morrissey has appeared in 37 games this campaign scoring 16 points (five goals and 11 assists). He has more than 70 hits and 40 blocked shots in 2021-22.
Connor Hellebuyck has started 31 games for the Jets this season, he has started at least 45 games in five straight seasons. This season he is 14-12-5 with a .912 save percentage and a 2.82 GAA. The 2019-20 Vezina Trophy winner is +2500 to win the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy.
Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Odds
Jake Guentzel is leading the Penguins in points this season with 40 (21 goals and 19 assists). He has eight points on the power play in 2021-22. The Nebraska-Omaha product is tied with Mike Matheson in game-winning goals this season with five. Guentzel has five points in his last five games (three goals and two assists). Superstar and long-time team captain, Sidney Crosby is third on the team in scoring with 31 points in 28 games (10 goals and 21 assists). Sid the Kid is a +12 and is averaging 19:21 of ice-time per game. The three-time Stanley Cup winner has 1,356 points in 1,067 career games: at 496 career goals he’s only four away from the magical 500. Evan Rodrigues has had a wonderful season scoring 30 points in 40 games: netting 15 goals. Veteran Jeff Carter has 24 points on the year (11 goals and 13 assists). The two-time Stanley Cup winner is an impact veteran presence on the team winning 57.1% of his face-offs. Bryan Rust who had two assists in victory over Columbus on Friday has 24 points in 2021-22. He’s a +10 and is averaging 18:13 of ice time per game for the Penguins. Evegeni Malkin returned to the Penguins after missing the first few months of the season due to off-season knee surgery. In six games back in the lineup, the 2011-12 Hart Trophy winner has six points (three goals and three assists).
Longtime Penguins defensive stalwart Kris Letang is the team’s second leading scorer with 35 points (three goals and 32 assists). The two-time Stanley Cup winner is a team leading +17 while logging the most ice time per game by a Pittsburgh defenseman at 25:44. He has 66 blocked shots and has been physical delivering 80 hits (second on the team behind forward Zach Aston-Reese’s 125) this year. Letang is listed at +4000 to win his first career Norris Trophy. Mike Matheson has been good this season, one of the most consistent players on the club. He’s scored six goals on the year with five of those being game winners, tied for the team lead. The former Boston College Eagle is a +7 while averaging 18:02 of ice time per game. Brian Dumoulin had a goal and two assists in the Penguins victory over the Blue Jackets on Friday. He has 13 points in 2021-22 and is a +10. Dumoulin has blocked a team high 71 shots this campaign and is averaging 22:02 of ice time per game.
Tristan Jarry has started 30 games between the pipes for the Penguins this season. He’s 21-7-4 with a .928 save percentage (tied for third in the league) and has a 2.10 GAA (fourth in the NHL). Jarry is currently +1600 to win the Vezina Trophy. Casey DeSmith has started nine games this season winning three of those starts. DeSmith did start the game on Friday on the road vs. Columbus but was pulled after the first period. I would expect Jarry to start in net for Pittsburgh against Winnipeg.
Winnipeg Jets Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Picks & Prediction
Winnipeg is scoring 2.9 goals per game, ranking them 18th in the NHL. On the defensive side of the puck, they’re allowing 2.9 goals per game which ranks 16th in the league. Pittsburgh is scoring 3.4 goals per game, which is seventh in the league. Defensively they’re allowing 2.6 goals per game, ranked fourth overall.
The Penguins are a staggering 15-2 and their last 17 games. Entering the game against Pittsburgh, Winnipeg has played their first seven games of 2022 on the road due to COVID-19 postponements. I’m going with the red-hot Penguins to win this game with under 5.5 combined goals scored in this contest.
