Tuesday NHL Odds, Picks, Predictions: Stars vs. Penguins Betting Preview
Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: Braden Holtby
- The Penguins host the Stars on Tuesday night in early-season NHL action (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
- Pittsburgh has performed admirably to start the season despite missing Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust, three of their top six forwards.
- But Nicholas Martin is targeting the Stars at even money or better on the road on Tuesday.
Stars vs. Penguins Odds
| Stars Odds | +110 |
| Penguins Odds | -130 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Dallas Stars will look to snap their two-game losing streak in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The Stars are slight underdogs against the Pens, who have been quite the surprise this season.
Despite playing without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins have skated to a 2-0-1 record and will look to extend their point streak to four games with a win over Dallas.
Dallas Stars
It's very early on, but you have to think the Stars will be urgent to avoid a 1-3 start to the season after a very disappointing opening month last season put Dallas in a hole it could not dig itself out of.
I won't look too much into the Stars' 1-2 record and 47% expected goals rate, as it is far too early to take those numbers at face value — especially for a roster with this much talent and depth.
Slow start aside, there is a lot to like about the Stars' roster and I have them as a club that is likely to bounce back after missing the playoffs due to injury issues, a dreadful (and unsustainable) overtime record and a very condensed schedule due to Covid and a weather emergency.
The Stars have a deep forward group, a talented blueline and they are committed to playing a well-structured game. This team should round into form as the season goes on.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Head coach Mike Sullivan has already announced the Penguins will be without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust for this contest. That's half of Pittsburgh's top-six.
You couldn't blame the team for taking a more patient approach to get Crosby, Malkin and Rust healthy, especially with the club surprising by grabbing five of a possible six points through three tough games to open the season.
Despite the strong start, I don't think these results are sustainable for a team skating Jeff Carter and Evan Rodrigues as its top two centers. At some point the lack of talent will catch up to this team and the Stars will offer a stiff challenge to a handful of players who are slotted well above where they should be in the lineup.
Stars vs. Penguins Pick
Given their strong start, I believe the Penguins will attract most of the betting support in this matchup. They are coming off a big win against Chicago and their 59.1% expected goals rate backs up their results.
However, it's just hard to imagine this team continues to play at this level with this depleted roster, especially against a solid defensive team like the Stars.
When the Stars are in good form, they are excellent at limiting high-quality chances against and thrive in tight contests.
This figures to be one of those coin flips and with Dallas priced as an underdog, I'll go against the Penguins again and hope reality catches up to them.
The Pick: Dallas Stars +100 or better
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