| 31 January 2010
Detroit Red Wings (26-19-4-5) at Pittsburgh Penguins (33-21-1-0)
NHL Hockey: Sunday January 31, 2010 12:30PM ET
The Line: Detroit 140 Pittsburgh -160 Over/Under 5.5
Two of the leagues toughest teams hit the ice as the Eastern Conference battles the Western Conference.
Recent History:
Detroit has lost three of their last five games including a 5-2 loss at Minnesota. Oddly enough, that was the only game of the five in which the Red Wings actually had more shots on goal than their opponents.
Pittsburgh has won three out of their last five games but is just 2-1 at home in that span, losing to Washington and Ottawa while defeating the Islanders. In their two losses, Pittsburgh failed to cash in on a power play while they piled up power play goals in each of their three wins during this five game span.
Trends:
Detroit is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games at home
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
What to look for:
Look for Jimmy Howard to get the call in net for the Red Wings, which will be his first start against the Penguins. Look for a desperate Detroit team to go all out for this win on the road as they need every point they can get to keep their string of playoff appearances alive. I think Detroit hangs close in this one, and as they get healthier they will become a force again, but I like the Under better in this spot. Howard has a 1.95 goals-against average over his last eight road games and Detroit is forced to play a tighter game without their full complement of players.
Dave's Pick: Under 5.5
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