by
- What: Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
- Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024
- Location: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: truTV, TNT, MAX, TVAS
Three NHL games are on the schedule for Valentine’s Day, and only one of those contests is an Eastern Conference matchup. In that game, the Florida Panthers travel to Pennsylvania to face the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Panthers, who went unbeaten between December 23 and January 11, ended a four-game losing skid on January 22. Since then, Florida is 6-1. Meanwhile, the Penguins are struggling. Pittsburgh is 5-6-3 since the calendar flipped to 2024.
The Florida Panthers are in second place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 33-15-4. The team is three points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins. Florida has a 17-7-2 record on the road during the 2024 NHL season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are seventh out of eight teams in the Metropolitan Division. The club’s record is 23-19-7, and they are 10-11-4 at home this year.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for tonight’s NHL matchup between the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins, check out our betting picks to win the 2024 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins betting picks – February 14, 2024
 | Puck Line | Money Line | Total |
| Florida Panthers | -1.5 (+210) | -120 | Ov 6 (-106) |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +1.5 (-250) | +107 | Un 6 (-110) |
Florida Panthers betting breakdown
The Florida Panthers struggled a bit at the start of the 2024 NHL season, but the team found its groove in early November, and they have been consistent since then. The club had not lost more than two games in a row all season until their recent four-game losing skid, but the Panthers bounced back from that run by going 6-1 in their past seven games, with the loss being a 2-1 setback to the Flyers.
Sam Reinhart is tops on the Panthers in scoring with 64 points and 39 goals. The team’s second-leading scorer is Matthew Tkachuk, who has 56 points and leads the team in assists with 39. Tkachuk’s scoring has dipped this season. Following back-to-back seasons of more than 40 goals and 100 points, the Panthers’ emotional leader is currently on pace for 88 points this season, but he has five points in the Panthers’ past two games.
It’s no surprise that Sergei Bobrovsky is holding down the starting goaltending job for the team this year. The veteran netminder has a 25-10-2 record, a .913 save percentage, and a 2.43 goals against average.
Florida has scored an average of 3.19 goals per game this year, which ranks them 13th in the NHL. The club allows the second-fewest goals per game an average at 2.50. The club also allows the second-fewest shots per game at 27.3. The Panthers have the No.6 power play (24.9 percent) and the sixth-best penalty kill (82.7 percent).
Pittsburgh Penguins betting breakdown
The Pittsburgh Penguins were inconsistent in the early going of the 2024 NHL season. The club was 11-12-3 with 25 points as of December 10. However, after that, things went well for the Pens when they went 9-3-1 between December 12 and January 8. The team has struggled since then, going 3-4-3 in their past 10 games. Pittsburgh is on a two-game losing skid.
Sidney Crosby is the top goal scorer for Pittsburgh with 28. He also leads the team in points with 52, one more than second-highest scorer Jake Guentzel. Erik Karlsson has the most assists on the team with 30. Tristan Jarry has shouldered the bulk of the goaltending load for the Penguins in recent matchups. He has a 14-15-4 record, a 2.44 GAA and a .916 SV%.
The Penguins are near the bottom of the NHL (26th) in goals per game this year at 2.90, but they have been keeping most pucks out of their own net, allowing the sixth-fewest goals against at 2.63. The Penguins are 30th in power play percentage (13.9%) and ninth on the penalty kill (81.6%). Despite their scoring woes, the Penguins take the fifth most shots per game (33.3) and allow 30.2 shots on goal per game.
Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins betting trends
The Florida Panthers are 3-2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their past five outings and have won the past three meetings between the two clubs. Florida scored 18 goals in those games, while the Penguins netted 15. In their past three meetings, the teams have not combined for more than five goals.
The Panthers are 28-13 in games where they were the betting favorite during the 2024 NHL season, while the Penguins have scored upset wins in 10 of the 19 contests they were the betting underdog.
In their past 10 games, the Panthers have averaged 3.4 goals per game while giving up 2.4 per outing. During that same number of games, the Penguins have averaged 2.3 goals per game and surrendered 2.3 goals per outing.
Best bets for Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins and Panthers have played twice this season. The Panthers have won both games (3-1 in December and 3-2 SO in January). Look for that trend to continue tonight in Pittsburgh. The betting pick is for the Florida Panthers to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Don’t look for a high-scoring game. The betting pick is for the Panthers and Penguins to combine for fewer than six goals tonight.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
