It always seems fun when the Penguins and Flyers get together, even when one leads the division in points and the other is at the bottom, but Tuesday night’s meeting at PPG Paints Arena has special drama.
It’s another chance for Pens star and longtime Flyers nemesis Sidney Crosby to net his 500th career goal after coming up without any in his last two games, though both were road wins against the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils.
Crosby’s 49 career goals against the Flyers since entering the NHL in 2005 are more than against any other franchise, and Pennsylvania’s online sportsbooks have odds on whether he double up his 50th against them with his 500th against everyone. He is an underdog to do so, but some boosts and special offers are available to entice bettors.
While a lot of attention will be paid to Sid the Kid’s effort, the game is significant overall for the Penguins in that they are now atop the Metropolitan Division standings with 68 points. It needs to be noted that they’ve played 49 games compared to the 46 of the Carolina Hurricanes, who are one behind with 67 points.
Pittsburgh is 6-1-3 in its last 10 games to go 30-11-8 on the season, while Philadelphia has gone 2-7-1 in its last 10 to fall to the Metropolitan cellar at 15-24-8.
As such, the Pens are heavy favorites to win the game, at odds ranging from -300 at BetMGM (-127 on the -1.5 puck line) to -365 at FanDuel (-144 on the puck line).
DK says pick which game No. 500 will come
Crosby’s 499th goal came last Tuesday versus the Boston Bruins in a 4-2 win, the first of three straight road wins for Pittsburgh. He’d surely like nothing more than to snag No. 500 at home against the Flyers, as the next game is on the road Thursday against Toronto. The next home game is a big one versus the Hurricanes Sunday afternoon.
Crosby, who started the season on the injury list while recovering from surgery, has scored 13 goals in 37 games (with 31 assists for 44 total points) in 2021-22.
DraftKings has a special bet option available to pick which game will be the one where Crosby joins a select club that now consists of 45 NHL goal scorers, with Alexander Ovechkin (759) currently the only active member.
Here’s DraftKings’ odds on Crosby’s next goal coming in a specific game among the next three under its “Crosby 500th Goal Special”:
- Tuesday night vs. Flyers, +140
- Thursday vs. Maple Leafs, +400
- Sunday vs. Hurricanes, +550
Oddly, if you want to bet separately on Crosby scoring against the Flyers under Tuesday night’s game odds, DraftKings posts it at +150, so you’d be better off using that option if expecting him to get that next goal without further delay.
FOX Bet’s customers, meanwhile, can do even better by using a special “boost” to +160 on Crosby’s odds of a goal Tuesday night. To get two or more goals, he’s boosted to +900 (supposedly from +750 without a boost). Among other sites, those using Kambi odds, such as BetRivers, Unibet, and TwinSpires, list +148 for a goal Tuesday night.
But if you’re one interested in betting against Crosby, which may be more likely among the state’s Flyers fans? On FanDuel, he can be bet “under” 0.5 goals at -176, compared to its +142 on the over.
Photo: Eric Hartline/USA TODAY
