Pittsburgh Penguins vs Detroit Red Wings Prediction, 1/3/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Detroit Red Wings

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

Location: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI

TV: Fanduel Sports Network

Odds/Point Spread: Penguins (+132) Red Wings (-160)

The Pittsburgh Penguins (17-12-9) are hitting the road to Little Caesars Arena on Saturday where they will meet the Detroit Red Wings (24-14-3). The line on this contest has Pittsburgh at +132 while Detroit is coming in at -160. The over/under comes in at 6.5.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were on the winning side of the scoreboard with a 5-1 victory against the Hurricanes in their previous contest . Pittsburgh had 2 penalty mins for this matchup. The Penguins had a good offensive performance and it was apparent in the win. Additionally, they had 2 power play tries and scored 1 goal. While out there on the ice, they earned a goal on 5 of the 28 shots they put on goal.

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Pittsburgh Penguins opponents have totaled 109 power play tries (21st in pro hockey) and have a total of 20 goals in those attempts. The Penguins have had 1,074 shots taken against them and hold a save percentage of .890. Pittsburgh has tried 1,081 shots and has a shooting percentage of 11.2%. While at even strength, the Penguins have surrendered 98 goals while scoring 90 on the offensive side of the ice. Pittsburgh has accumulated 103 power play chances and they have scored 31 goals out of those attempts, giving them a rate of 30.10%. For the current campaign, they have earned 43 points and their points percentage sits at .566. With respect to their scoring, the Pittsburgh Penguins have accumulated 121 goals (17th in the league) on the campaign and have surrendered 118.

The player guarding the cage in this matchup is Stuart Skinner. The opposition has notched 530 goals against Skinner in his pro career and his average for goals against per game is 2.72. Skinner has taken the ice for 201 matchups throughout his NHL career. His save percentage currently is at .903 during his 9,287 mins in the crease. He has compiled an overall record of 110-65-18 and he started in 195 games. Over the course of his career, Skinner has 106 quality starts and his rate for quality starts is .544. Skinner has seen 5,488 shot attempts against him and has recorded 4,958 saves.

In their last game, Detroit opposed the Jets in a game where the Red Wings earned a victory by a final score of 2-1. They had 3 power play attempts in this matchup and recorded 1 out of those opportunities. The Red Wings scored 2 goals of the 19 shots on goal they pursued.

Detroit has put up 1,197 shots (4th in professional hockey) and has a shot percentage of 10.44%, while allowing the opposition 1,129 shots. They have accumulated a penalty kill percentage of 80.56% on their opponents 108 tries on the power play, and their save percentage is 88.7%. They have earned 123 power play opportunities and they have earned a power play percentage of 25.20%. The Red Wings are sitting with 94 goals at even strength and 31 goals (3rd in the league) while on the power play. They have allowed 128 goals to be scored by way of 107 goals at even strength and 21 goals while they had less men on the ice. On the campaign, the Detroit Red Wings have earned 125 goals, 51 points, in addition to a points percentage of .622.

Across the rink you are going to see John Gibson protecting the goal. Gibson is the owner of a lifetime record of 217-225-64 and has participated in 529 games. Gibson's quality start rate sits at 53.8% and he has made 278 quality starting assignments in his hockey career. He has accrued 14,586 saves out of the 16,039 shots taken against him, giving him a percentage of .909. The opposition is averaging 2.81 goals/game and he has relinquished 1,453 goals overall. He has started in 517 games and has racked up 26,874 minutes.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+132)

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