Flyers Penguins Game 5 Odds: Highest OVER UNDER in 20 Years
Game 5 in Pittsburgh sees the total at a whopping 7, unheard of in recent NHL playoff memory. But when three of the four games have seen at least 12 goals, maybe the books should be setting it at 10.5.
”Unbelievable at any time to get a 7 total in NHL betting, and the price actually favors the OVER at -120 at most shops we track,” said Jack Randall, handicapping analyst at OddsShark.com. “There were times last season when the total was 4.”
It wasn’t always this way. In Game 1, the total settled in at a normal 5.5 and the Flyers won, 4-3, in OT. The next day, it closed at 6 and the Flyers won, 8-5.
Sportsbooks pushed it to 6.5 for Games 3 and 4 and the results were 8-4 and 10-3 results. Now it’s 7, with nearly 70% of the wagering consensus on the OVER for Friday’s game.
With Ilya Bryzgalov pulled from Game 4 and possibly a scratch for tonight with a hip injury, backup Sergei Bobrovsky could get the call. If he plays like Game 4, he could also get the hook.
But Bobrovsky has been excellent at Pittsburgh and the Flyers are 7-1 in Pittsburgh’s new building.
The Penguins get Craig Adams and, more importantly James Neal, back for Game 5 after suspensions were served Wednesday. But will the Penguins sag now that the us-against-the-world pressure has been removed?
“We predict a much tamer game with few penalties, because that’s where the Flyers collapsed in Game 4,” Randall said. “Bryzgalov is the wild card here -- if he leaks goals like a 1977 Ford Maverick leaks oil, this could be another 9-3 game.
