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Table of Contents
Match Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Matchup | Pittsburgh Penguins vs New Jersey Devils |
| Date | Saturday, November 8, 2025 |
| Time | 12:30 PM ET |
| Venue | Prudential Center, Newark |
| Broadcast | ESPN+ |
| Penguins Record | 9-4-2 |
| Devils Record | 10-4-0 |
| Penguins Moneyline | +174 |
| Devils Moneyline | -209 |
| Puck Line | PIT +1.5 / NJ -1.5 |
| Total | 6.5 (O -110 / U -111) |
For up-to-date numbers and derivatives, use the NHL odds screen via the scores and odds hub in the NHL section and matchup coverage in the NHL picks pages on ScoresAndStats through relevant NHL picks, teams, and odds anchor links.
Line and Odds Movement
The market is treating New Jersey as a clear home favorite with a short number on the puck line, driven by their 10-4-0 start, divisional position, and perceived depth edge, especially if they dictate pace at five-on-five. Pittsburgh’s plus price reflects schedule context on the road and a heavily slanted injury report, not current form from Sidney Crosby.
The 6.5 total is a respect number for both offensive ceilings. Books have to price in Crosby’s line driving elite production, New Jersey’s ability to surge in transition, and defensive volatility on the Devils’ side with key blue-liners banged up. Any firm lean under that number requires trusting systems and goaltending more than raw talent.
Matchup Breakdown
Pittsburgh’s path is built almost entirely around Crosby’s resurgence and the immediate chemistry with rookie Ben Kindel and Bryan Rust. At 38, Crosby is driving play like a first-line force, attacking inside, winning low battles, and finishing at a pace that projects near a career-high goal total. Adding Kindel’s IQ and puck support to that line gives the Penguins a legitimate top group that can tilt shifts against anyone. Their power play woke up against Washington, and with Crosby in this form, a high-end unit is back on the table if entries and puck movement remain sharp.
Depth is the problem. The Penguins’ injury list is long and removes layers of secondary scoring and back-end stability. That pushes heavy minutes and responsibility on the top group and top-four defense. If they stay out of penalty trouble and the Crosby line can trade chances on equal terms, Pittsburgh is fully live to punch above the moneyline.
New Jersey remains structurally strong but is entering a stress test. They are 10-4-0 and leading the division, yet their recent form is patchier than the record suggests. Losing Brett Pesce and potentially Dougie Hamilton cuts into their breakout, offensive blue-line threat, and matchup flexibility. It also forces Brenden Dillon and others into heavier minutes and more difficult assignments against Crosby. Offensively, Jack Hughes and the forward core still give the Devils more scoring layers than Pittsburgh in aggregate, but their ability to control defensive-zone time and clear pucks cleanly is less certain without their top right-shot anchors.
If New Jersey uses its depth and pace to drag the game into a multi-line, transition-heavy environment, their advantage over a depleted Penguins bottom six becomes more pronounced. If the game compresses into a tight five-on-five matchup where the top lines decide it, the gap between a Crosby-driven first line and a shorthanded Devils blue line shrinks fast.
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Injury Reports
Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Noel Acciari (C) | Out | Upper body |
| Joel Blomqvist (G) | Out | Lower body |
| Justin Brazeau (RW) | Out | Upper body |
| Filip Hallander (C) | Out | Leg |
| Kevin Hayes (RW) | Out | Upper body |
| Tanner Howe (LW) | Out | Undisclosed |
| Tristan Jarry (G) | Out | Lower body |
| Caleb Jones (D) | Out | Lower body |
| Rutger McGroarty(C) | Out | Upper body |
| Emil Pieniniemi(D) | Out | Suspension |
| Rickard Rakell (LW) | Out | Hand |
| Jack St. Ivany (D) | Out | Lower body |
New Jersey Devils Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Dougie Hamilton (D) | Questionable | Injury |
| Brett Pesce (D) | Out | Upper body |
| Connor Brown | Questionable | Undisclosed |
| Evgenii Dadonov | Out | Hand |
| Johnathan Kovacevic | Out | Knee |
| Zack MacEwen | Out | Upper body |
| Marc McLaughlin | Out | Undisclosed |
Hamilton’s status is the hinge. If he sits, New Jersey’s back end is significantly softer versus Crosby’s line and on the power play. Pittsburgh’s injury stack is already priced in and forces a stars-or-bust profile.
Penguins Recent Performance
Pittsburgh’s 5-3 win over Washington was a textbook example of what works for them now: elite top-line execution, a dangerous power play, and enough structure to protect a lead when they get one. Crosby is driving their offense, Rust is finishing and forechecking, and Kindel has slotted in without hesitation, adding speed and touch.
Their broader run since the hot start has been uneven in results, but underlying play stays competitive. When they manage puck decisions and avoid extended D-zone shifts with their thin depth, they look like a legitimate threat against upper-tier opponents.
Devils Recent Performance
New Jersey has eased off their early eight-game heater. The overtime win over Montreal showed both sides of their current profile: they can generate offense in bursts and find timely goals, but defensive sloppiness and coverage gaps arise more often, and without Pesce and maybe Hamilton, those gaps are harder to hide.
They still have more functional scoring lines than Pittsburgh, and their pace and skill can stretch a tired or shallow opponent. The question is whether their current blue line can both contain Crosby and maintain their usual transition game under pressure.
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Betting Insights and Trends
Pittsburgh has been highly profitable on the puck line, repeatedly staying inside numbers and pushing games high event. Their recent run of overs aligns with Crosby’s form and injury-driven volatility.
New Jersey continues to bank wins but shows enough defensive fluctuation that laying a heavy moneyline tax requires confidence in their patched blue line and goaltending.
Best Bets and Prediction
The pure moneyline value leans to Pittsburgh at the available plus price, especially if Hamilton is ruled out or limited. The gap between these teams is not as large as the line implies when Crosby is driving elite minutes and the Devils’ defense is compromised.
Total at 6.5 sits on a knife edge. Both sides have enough offensive talent to break it open, but a disciplined Penguins game plan and a cautious Devils approach without key defensemen can hold this closer to six.
Projected score: Devils 4, Penguins 3, with live underdog potential and a result that lands right near the number.
Handicapper Section
Penguins +1.5 has logical support given their puck line trend and Crosby’s ability to keep them competitive even with a gutted lineup. Moneyline sprinkle on Pittsburgh is defensible as long as New Jersey’s back end remains short of full strength.
Devils moneyline is parlay material only at this price: it depends on depth, home ice, and surviving Crosby’s line without a full defensive arsenal. Treat 6.5 cautiously; lean under if both teams show early respect for game state, lean over only if you are explicitly betting on special teams volume and defensive attrition.
