Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes Betting Pick & Prediction 1/5/25

Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Penguins and Hurricanes. The game is starting at 6:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 6.5 goals, and the Hurricanes are favored by -1.5 vs. the Penguins.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS CAROLINA HURRICANES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5

This game will be played at Lenovo Center at 6:00 ET on Sunday, January 5th.

WHY BET THE CAROLINA HURRICANES:

• With a 1.5-goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Hurricanes to secure a 4-3 victory.
• Take the Hurricanes on the moneyline
• On the spread, we like Penguins (+1.5)

Do the Penguins Stand a Chance on the Road?

Pittsburgh moved closer to the .500 mark with a 3-1 win over the Canadiens, bringing their record to 17-18-6. As -1.5 goal favorites, the Penguins covered the puck line, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the 6.5 set before the game.

Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals, and Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter to secure the win. The Penguins kept the Canadiens scoreless until the third period, when Christian Dvorak found the net for Montreal.

Sidney Crosby led the Penguins’ offense with two goals, including his 5th of the season on a power play. He found the net on two of his three shots on goal. Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter, his 2nd goal of the season.

Pittsburgh took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways. They scored once in each period, with their first goal coming just 4:03 into the game.

Defensively, the Penguins will look to build on their last performance, where they allowed just one goal to the Canadiens. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves with a 96.2% save percentage, and the defense added 5 takeaways and 19 hits. The only goal they allowed came at 5:32 into the 3rd period, cutting their lead to 2-1.

Can the Hurricanes Pull Off a Home Win?

Carolina improved to 23-14-2 with a 4-2 road win over the Capitals. The Hurricanes covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, while the total of 6 goals resulted in a push.

Carolina jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. The Hurricanes tied it up in the second period and added two more goals, including an empty-netter, to secure the win.

Carolina fired 45 shots on goal in their 4-2 win over the Capitals, with Dmitry Orlov scoring twice, bringing his season total to 3 goals. Martin Necas added his 6th goal of the year and picked up two assists, now with 12 assists this season. Andrei Svechnikov sealed the game with his 6th goal, an empty-netter.

The Hurricanes’ first goal came at 5:59 in the first period. They added two more in the second, including Orlov’s second goal, before Svechnikov’s empty-net goal with 9 seconds left. Carolina had 14 giveaways in the game.

After allowing two late goals in the first period, the Hurricanes’ defense tightened up, shutting out the Capitals in the second and third periods. Pyotr Kochetkov finished with 19 saves and a 90.5% save percentage, while Carolina’s defense added 7 takeaways and 10 hits.