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Pittsburgh (34-18-15) at Carolina (42-19-6)
- When: Mar 18 2026, 7:00 PM
- Where: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC, USA
- TV: FDSSO
Pittsburgh vs Carolina NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: Carolina -163
Spread: Carolina -1.5 (+153)
Total: 6.5
Odds say Carolina at -163, total sitting at 6.5. Translation? Vegas expects goals and just enough chaos to keep your blood pressure unhealthy.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Flightless Birds Heating Up
Ah yes, the Penguins. One night you look like Stanley Cup contenders, the next night you forget how hockey works. Classic.
Fresh off absolutely nuking Colorado 7-2, Pittsburgh suddenly remembers they can score goals. And guess who’s back? Evgeni Malkin. The guy returns from suspension like he just downloaded a cheat code, dropping 2 goals and 1 assist. Casual.
Sidney Crosby is still out with a knee injury, which is… kind of important. He still leads the team with 59 points and 27 goals while sitting on the couch. Anthony Mantha is chasing him with 26 goals, probably texting Crosby like “you coming back or what?”
The Penguins are 2-1-1 on this road trip and riding a confidence wave. Dangerous? Yes. Trustworthy? Let’s not get carried away.
Carolina Hurricanes: Storm Ready Response
Carolina just got smacked 5-1 by Columbus, which is the hockey equivalent of spilling your drink in public and pretending nobody saw.
Rod Brind’Amour basically said “yeah, that was trash” and moved on. Respect.
Despite the faceplant, this team is still elite. They’re sitting near the top of the East and usually don’t stack bad games. Translation: bounce-back spot alert.
Frederik Andersen is expected in net, which should help calm things down. Meanwhile, Andrei Svechnikov is heating up with goals in back-to-back games and three of his last five. The man is quietly cooking while everyone watches the standings.
Carolina also beat Pittsburgh last week 5-4 in a shootout, after almost choking it late. So yes, they owe themselves a less dramatic win here.
LVSB Prediction
You’ve got Pittsburgh riding high after a blowout win, and Carolina coming off an embarrassing loss. That’s the perfect recipe for a “get right” game at home.
Carolina is simply the more consistent team, and they rarely drop two bad games in a row. Pittsburgh without Crosby still feels like a gamble… and not the fun kind.
Score Prediction: Carolina 4, Pittsburgh 3
Pick: Carolina (-163)
Total: Over 6.5 (+100)
- NHL Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
