Trent Reinsmith
- What: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
- Date: Tuesday, April 11, 2023
- Location: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ATTSN-PT, NBCSCH, ESPN+
The 2023 NHL regular season comes to a close on Friday, April 14. Then, on Monday, April 17, the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin. While many teams have locked in their playoff spot or been eliminated, the Pittsburgh Penguins are not one of those teams. With two games to play, the Penguins have 90 points (40-30-10), which puts them in the race for one of the two Eastern Conference wild card spots. The Penguins are one point behind the Florida Panthers (42-31-7) and the NY Islanders (41-30-9) for that playoff spot. Tonight, the Penguins look to pick up two points when they play the Chicago Blackhawks, who have been eliminated from playoff contention in the Western Conference (25-48-6).
The Penguins enter tonight’s game with a 6-4 record in their past 10 games and a home mark of 23-12-5. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are 1-9-0 in their 10 most recent outings and have gone 11-26-3 on the road for the 2023 NHL season.
Before we consider the betting breakdown for tonight’s NHL matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins picks – April 11, 2023
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +363 | +355 | +345 | +350 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | -420 | -450 | -425 | -450 |
Chicago Blackhawks breakdown
The Chicago Blackhawks of today look a lot different than the team that started the 2023 NHL season. Chicago GM Kyle Davidson made nine trades between February 22 and the 2023 NHL trade deadline. The most noteworthy of those moves sent Patrick Kane to the Rangers. Chicago now has 10 picks in the first five rounds of this year’s NHL entry draft. Further, the final games of 2023 could see captain Jonathan Toews playing his last games as a team member, and perhaps his last games on NHL ice.
No player on the Blackhawks has more than 50 points or 20 goals. The team’s total goal output for the year is 158, which is the lowest in the NHL. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have allowed 225 goals in 2023. The club’s minus 97 goal differential is second worst in the Western Conference.
Pittsburgh Penguins breakdown
The Pittsburgh Penguins looked like they were on the right track when they put together a 7-1-1 run between February 25 and March 12. Unfortunately, the team followed that strong stretch with four straight losses where they were outscored 18-7. Since then, the club has gone 6-4. The good news for the Pens is that they are heading into tonight’s game on their first two-game winning streak since March 11-12. The Pens bested the Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings in their two most recent outings.
Sidney Crosby leads the team with 91 points. His 58 assists are also tops on the club. Jake Guentzel is the team leader in goals with 35. Evgeni Malkin is second in team scoring with 82 points.
The Penguins’ defense is hurting the team overall, as evidenced by the team’s 258 goals for and 256 goals against on the 2023 season. Pittsburgh was plus 43 in goal differential last season.
Best bet for Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
As inconsistent as the Penguins have been this year, they still have a chance of making the playoffs. With a two-game winning streak and a matchup against one of the poorest-performing teams in the NHL in the Blackhawks, the best bet is to pick the Pittsburgh Penguins to beat the Chicago Blackhawks at home.
Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins to beat Chicago Blackhawks.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
