MTL vs. PIT Pick: PIT ML

Pittsburgh didn’t ease into the season. It went to Philadelphia, hung seven goals on the Flyers and left without allowing one. Now the Penguins come home to face Montreal, and we’re taking Pittsburgh on the moneyline at +105.

The seven goals grabbed the headlines, but the 38–19 shot advantage is what we like most. Pittsburgh made Philadelphia defend all night, and the offense came from everywhere. Fourteen Penguins recorded a point. Nick Robertson scored twice in his debut, while Filip Hallander added a goal and two assists. That’s a lot of help around Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, especially with Bryan Rust out of the lineup.

Arturs Silovs gets the net again after the shutout. Pittsburgh gave him a manageable workload Wednesday, and another effort like that would go a long way tonight. Montreal has the skill to punish loose coverage, so the Penguins need to keep winning pucks and clearing the front of their net. They aren’t going to score seven every night. Making life easier on their goalie is something they can carry into this game.

The Canadiens should put up considerably more resistance than Philadelphia did. They opened with a 3–2 win in Toronto, have had time to settle in Pittsburgh and will start Jakub Dobes in goal. There’s no tired opponent to take advantage of here. Montreal can make this uncomfortable, and Pittsburgh will need more patience if the early chances don’t turn into goals.

Still, getting the Penguins at plus money at home is enough to bring us in. We’re backing the pressure they generated and the contributions throughout the lineup, not another lopsided score. A close game suits this ticket just fine—we only need Pittsburgh to finish on the right side of it.

SLS Daily Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins ML (+105). Playable at +100 or better.