<p>Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Friday’s matchup between the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/winnipeg-jets/line-combinations">Winnipeg Jets</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/pittsburgh-penguins/line-combinations">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jets vs. Penguins odds</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Winnipeg Jets Moneyline: -175</li>



<li>Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline: +145</li>



<li>Puck Line: Winnipeg Jets -1.5 (+135), Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 (-160)</li>



<li>Game Total: 6.5 (Over +100, Under -120)</li>
</ul>



<p><em>Game odds via Sports Interaction.</em></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Handicapping the Winnipeg Jets (16-3 SU, 11-8 ATS, 10-8-1 O/U)</h2>



<p>Winnipeg lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, falling 4-1 to Florida and 5-0 to Tampa Bay last week. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/jets-rebound-victory-against-the-panthers-was-as-impressive-as-any-win-this-season">The Jets rebounded with an impressive 6-3 home win over the Panthers on Tuesday</a> and now embark on a six-game road trip, starting Friday in Pittsburgh.</p>



<p>This is the first half of this back-to-back for Winnipeg, who will travel to Nashville to play the Predators on Saturday. Originally, I thought that might mean backup goaltender Eric Comrie would get this start. After all, he already had a strong performance against the Penguins in his first start, making 39 saves in a 6-3 win on Oct. 20. However, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/starting-goalies">Vezina Trophy-winner Connor Hellebuyck will be getting the nod on Friday in Pittsburgh</a>. As a result, Winnipeg’s moneyline odds shot up from -160 to -185, and I would expect that trend to continue throughout the day.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="165"></div>



<p>The Jets lead the NHL in goals per 60 minutes (4.2), while the Penguins rank dead last in defense, allowing 3.78 goals per 60. Not to mention, Winnipeg also ranks as the fourth-best defensive team, and that is largely due to the play of <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/connor-hellebuyck/2465">Hellebuyck</a>, who ranks second in goals saved above expected. Hellebuyck has held more than half of the teams he’s faced to two or fewer goals, this season and last.</p>



<p>Winnipeg’s offense has dipped slightly during a tougher stretch of games, but with 12 outings of four or more goals in 19 games, the Jets’ firepower should prevail against Pittsburgh. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/the-jets-have-always-believed-in-mark-scheifele-and-its-paying-off">Mark Scheifele</a> and Kyle Connor, each with 12 goals and 12 assists, lead the charge, while Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Josh Morrissey provide strong support. Additionally, the Jets’ depth scoring has also been reliable.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="137"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Handicapping the Pittsburgh Penguins (7-14 SU, 8-13 ATS, 11-9-1 O/U)</h2>



<p>This is the first of seven road games in a nine-game stretch for <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/how-the-jets-long-term-commitment-to-their-core-has-allowed-them-to-be-successful-in-2024-25">Winnipeg</a>, a challenging stretch with several tough opponents—but Pittsburgh isn’t one of them. Only one of the Penguins’ seven wins has come against a team that made the playoffs last season and is currently in a playoff spot this season. Pittsburgh has lost 12 of its last 16 games after a 3-2 start and has managed just one win in its last five—a shootout victory against the San Jose Sharks.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/tristan-jarry/2626">Tristan Jarry</a> has been back with the team for two games following a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League, but so far, the returns haven’t been good. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/nhl-betting-preview-penguins-blue-jackets-november-15">Jarry was shelled in his first game back</a>, allowing five goals, and despite looking good early versus the Lightning, his mistake in overtime cost Pittsburgh the game. Through five games this season, Jarry has allowed almost five goals more than what an average goaltender would have had they faced the same shots.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="163"></div>



<p>Of course, it’s not all on Jarry, or any of the other goaltenders, as Pittsburgh ranks near the bottom of the league in shots against. Only the Ducks and Sharks, objectively two of the worst defensive teams in hockey over the last few years, have allowed more shots per 60 minutes than the Penguins. Pittsburgh has allowed 31 shots on goal or more in 14 of 22 games and it also ranks among the bottom-10 teams in expected goals against. Additionally, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/kris-letang/1233">defenseman Kris Letang</a> has missed the last three games with a lingering injury, but both Letang and forward Kevin Hayes will be game-time decisions on Friday.</p>



<p>The Penguins do rank among the top-five teams in expected goals for, but they’re a middling team offensively, ranking 22nd in goals per 60 minutes. They’ve scored two or fewer goals in five out of their last seven games, and the Jets are cut from the same cloth as some of those opponents so Pittsburgh’s offense could struggle again on Friday. Sidney Crosby (7-13-20) and Evgeni Malkin (5-14-19) have had decent seasons so far, but not a single member of the Penguins is scoring at point-per-game pace this season. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/pettersson-ristolainen-provorov-headline-first-trade-targets-board-of-2024-25">Frank Seravalli’s Trade Targets</a> is the only list that features a Penguins player at the top.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="212"></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Bets for Jets vs. Penguins</h2>



<p><strong>Nikolaj Ehlers Anytime Goal (+195) at Sports Interaction</strong></p>



<p>Ehlers is in a four-game scoring drought, unsurprising given the opposition: the Panthers, Lightning, and Rangers—three of the NHL’s top defensive teams. However, Pittsburgh’s less formidable defense presents a strong opportunity for Ehlers, who recorded five shots in his last game, to break through. Ehlers ranks third on the team in shot attempts this season but leads all skaters in unlocked shot attempts for November, trailing only one teammate in total attempts this month. Ehlers had not gone more than three games without a goal prior to this recent stretch.</p>



<p><a href="https://app.actionnetwork.com/4zu6/chznhm6b"><em>Follow Andy’s hockey bets on the Action App!</em></a></p>
