BEST LINES: Pinnacle +244 Bet365 +225 SportsInteraction +235 5DIMES +240

Best 1st Period lines: Pinnacle +199 Bet365 N/A SportsInteraction N/A 5DIMES +195

Posted at 1:25 PM EST.

7:05 PM EST. OT included. It seems like the Coyotes are playing and losing every night. Here’s a team that has scored the first goal in 12 of 16 games and has two lousy wins for it. Here’s a team that is almost always getting off to a great start so maybe it’s time for a little different approach. Instead of betting a full two units on the Coyotes to win, we’re going to play them for 1 unit in the first period only and 1 unit to win outright.

We’re not going to keep going over the same thing regarding the Coyotes. They are playing decent enough to be winning at a much higher clip. They are playing with a lead often and it’s only a matter of time before those leads hold up. What we know for sure is that the take-backs being offered on the Coyotes is approaching preposterous levels. The Coyotes went into Washington last night, took an early 2-0 lead and lost 3-2 in OT. On Washington’s winning goal in the three-on-three OT period, a Caps player fanned on a shot from the slot and that fanned shot landed right on John Carlson’s stick, who buried it. That’s pretty much been the story of most of Arizona’s games this season.

Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh. They are an offensive force that you might not want to bet against when the chips are down. However, the chips are not down for this game. Pittsburgh has nothing to prove after back-to-back championships and there are going to be nights when they show up in body only or with low intensity. With its most hated rival, Washington, on deck on Friday night and returning home from a five-game trip that started in Minnesota and ended with four straight on the Canadian West Coast, this is precisely the type of game the Penguins could get caught napping in. Aside from that possibility, the Pens under the hood defensive numbers are among the worst in the league. From Corsi Against to expected goals against to penalties taken per 60 minutes, Pittsburgh has been vulnerable to losing almost every game and while it’s early and they’ll clean things up as the season progresses, the timing is right to fade this outfit when it has been playing so poorly. You may also think that Matt Murray is playing at a high level but he’s not. His adjusted save % is 7th worst among 50 qualified goaltenders and his low danger save percentage (soft goals allowed) ranks 5th worst. Pittsburgh may indeed win here but the risk is massive and we’re thrilled to be getting a price like this against them in this vulnerable spot.

The wagers here are:

Arizona +199 in the first period only for 1 unit

Arizona +244 for the full game, OT included, for 1 unit

Open an account today at Pinnacle Sports and take advantage of their -104 style pricing on sides and totals, which is 60% better than other sportsbooks