Penguins vs. Senators prediction: Ottawa favored to win Thursday's NHL matchup [12/18/2025]

The Ottawa Senators will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in NHL action at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, starting at 7:00 PM ET.

Based on the latest simulations, Dimers' proven NHL model projects the Senators as the most likely winner of the Penguins vs. Senators game.

This article offers further insights into Thursday's matchup, including projected goal scorers, best bets and player prop picks.

Penguins vs. Senators prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using trusted machine learning and data, we have simulated the outcome of Thursday's NHL game between the Penguins and Senators 10,000 times as part of our NHL predictions coverage.

Our leading predictive model gives the Senators a 57% chance of beating the Penguins.

According to our model, the Penguins (+1.5) have a 64% chance of covering the puck line, while the over/under total of 6.5 goals has a 53% chance of staying under.

Penguins vs. Senators odds

We have sourced the best NHL odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Penguins	Senators
Puck Line	+1.5 (-170)	-1.5 (+145)
Moneyline	+142	-166
Total	o6.5 (-108)	u6.5 (-110)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Penguins vs. Senators picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Puck Line	Penguins +1.5	-170
Moneyline	Penguins	+142
Total	Under 6.5	-110

According to our NHL best bets, the top play to make on this game is Penguins to win.

Penguins vs. Senators player props

Who will score a goal in Penguins vs. Senators?

According to our model, Sidney Crosby is most likely to score an anytime goal in Penguins vs. Senators.

Our projections give Crosby a 36.3% chance of scoring a goal at Canadian Tire Centre, while the star is a 7.1% chance of netting the first goal the game.

Anytime goal scorer predictions

Pittsburgh Penguins

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Sidney Crosby	36.3%
Bryan Rust	33.2%
Rickard Rakell	29.7%
Anthony Mantha	23.3%
Thomas Novak	21.4%

Ottawa Senators

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Brady Tkachuk	35.6%
Tim Stutzle	34.9%
Drake Batherson	33.2%
Dylan Cozens	27.9%
Fabian Zetterlund	23.5%

First goal scorer predictions

Pittsburgh Penguins

Player	First Goal Probability
Sidney Crosby	7.1%
Bryan Rust	6.6%
Rickard Rakell	6.0%
Anthony Mantha	4.3%
Ben Kindel	3.7%

Ottawa Senators

Player	First Goal Probability
Tim Stutzle	7.5%
Brady Tkachuk	6.8%
Drake Batherson	6.2%
Dylan Cozens	4.9%
Fabian Zetterlund	4.2%

Penguins vs. Senators game-day updates and essential details

Thursday's game between the Senators and Penguins at Canadian Tire Centre is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM ET.

• Who: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators
• Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025
• Time: 7:00 PM ET/4:00PM PT
• Venue: Canadian Tire Centre

Conclusion

We predict the Senators, with a 57% win probability, will likely beat the Penguins on Thursday.

AI and automation have enhanced this article to quickly deliver accurate Penguins vs. Senators insights, with human oversight ensuring high editorial quality. Our predictions are drawn from up-to-date data to help you make informed decisions. For additional resources and advice on responsible gambling, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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