Karl Rasmussen
- What: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers – 2022-23 NHL Regular Season
- When: Friday, November 25, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. EST
- Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Wells Fargo Center
- How to Watch: TNT
The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to take on the Philadelphia Flyers in an intra-state, Eastern Conference NHL matchup on Friday. In the heart of the long Thanksgiving weekend, NHL fans will be treated to a classic rivalry between the Penguins and Flyers, both of whom are looking to turn things around after slow starts to the year. With an intriguing matchup on the slate, we’ll dive into some Penguins-Flyers NHL picks.
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Penguins vs. Flyers Odds
 | Puck Line | Money Line | Total |
| Penguins | -1.5 (+115) | -220 | O6.5 (+105) |
| Flyers | +1.5 (-135) | +185 | U6.5 (-116) |
Heading into the matchup, the Pittsburgh Penguins are considered to be significant favorites over the Philadelphia Flyers, despite being on the road. The Penguins enter the fray with (-220) odds to win vs. the Flyers (+197). The goal total is set for 6.5 goals, though it’s leaning towards the Under at U6.5 (-116). The puck line is set at Penguins -1.5 (+115) indicating a two-goal win for Pittsburgh isn’t unlikely.
Penguins Best Bets
Heading into Friday’s matchup, the Penguins appear to be in the process of righting the ship after a rough start to the 2022-23 NHL season. Winners of their last four games, the Penguins are now sitting in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division, with a 10-7-3 record across their first 20 games. Their 23 points put them one place ahead of the Flyers in the division, and they trail the Rangers by one point, though Pittsburgh has one game in hand.
On the year, the Penguins are averaging 3.6 points per game, scoring 72 times over their first 20 contests. Defensively, however, it’s been nothing short of a disaster for the Pens, who have conceded 65 times in that same span. While their offense, led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, and others, has come up big for the team this year, recording the second-most goals in the division, they haven’t been able to turn that into wins.
During their recent four-game winning streak, however, things have been better defensively, albeit not great, still. The Penguins recorded a shutout of the Winnipeg Jets last week and held the Calgary Flames to one goal in their shootout victory on Wednesday night. Those performances were overshadowed by conceding four-plus goals to the Wild, Maple Leafs, and Canadiens, but it’s still an encouraging turnaround of late.
Up against a Flyers team that concedes plenty of goals, I have full faith in the Penguins’ ability to get on the board, and often. Pittsburgh will be itching to carry their winning streak up to five games and put themselves right back in the hunt for a playoff spot in the East, and a matchup with the Flyers presents a tantalizing opportunity to make a statement on offense.
My favorite Penguins bet for Friday’s matchup is Penguins -1.5 (+115). The Flyers have lost eight straight games, five of which have come by two or more goals, so I expect the Penguins to continue that trend on Friday with a big win. They’re the better team in this matchup and I think they’ll be able to separate themselves in what should be a one-sided affair, in favor of Crosby and company.
Flyers Best Bets
The Flyers have been one of hockey’s worst teams in the month of November. They own the NHL’s longest active losing streak, with eight consecutive defeats, and are winless dating back to November 8. At 7-8-5 on the year, the Flyers should feel lucky to be holding onto the sixth spot in the Metro Division, and they have the Capitals hot on their heels in seventh.
On the year, the Flyers have scored 50 goals in their first 20 games. That’s the lowest goalscoring tally in the Eastern Conference, and only two teams in hockey scored fewer times. Defensively, they’ve conceded 65 goals (same as Pittsburgh) which is tied for third-most in the division. With a -15 goal differential, the Flyers have not held leads often this season.
With Travis Konecny sidelined by injury, the Flyers’ offense is even further depleted. Owen Tippett has stepped up and Kevin Hayes is playing an important role, but Philly lacks any bite in the attacking third. Despite that, I’m still envisioning a high-scoring game between two of the East’s worst defensive teams.
Having both surrendered an average of 3.25 goals per game, this matchup figures to settle right around 6.5 goals. The Flyers have seen their games’ totals go over that tally in three of their last five games, and four of their last seven. The Penguins, on the other hand, have gone over 6.5 goals in four of their last six games. I’m going to bunker down on those recent trends and hope the Flyers offense can find the back of the net against a weak Penguins defense. The bet here is OVER 6.5 Total goals at (+105).
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