The Capitals and Penguins clash once again. These East Coast clubs are bringing one of the NHL’s best rivalries back into the spotlight.
With Washington surging on home ice and Pittsburgh struggling to find any amount of consistency on the road, this matchup is already looking like it will swing in favor of the Caps.
We’re breaking down the latest odds, key stats, and why Washington looks like the best bet.
The Washington Capitals are on a hot streak as of late, winning 7 straight games at Capital One Arena. Their latest win, a 3-2 edge over the Nashville Predators simply showed the power of a balanced offensive attack. They notched goals from Alexei Protas, Alexander Ovechkin, and Connor McMichael to seal the deal over the Preds.
Goalie Logan Thompson was sharp as well, making 33 saves with a .943 save percentage. It just goes to highlight their defensive solidity on home ice.
On the other hand, however, the Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled on the road, with 6 back-to-back losses.
Their recent 5-1 loss to the Hurricanes underscored these issues, despite the Penguins managing 36 SOG but netting just a single goal by Blake Lizotte. They’ll need to be more efficient than that.
In their last 10 games, the Penguins have a mere 2 wins, which we see as a concerning trend for a team heading into a tough road matchup. Though they did manage to defeat Washington 4-1 in their last faceoff, this Capitals team looks much stronger this time around, especially in front of their home crowd.
The Capitals come in at a reasonable -105 on the 3-way moneyline which tells us that the bookmakers expect a fairly close matchup but one where they also have the edge.
Here’s how each of the teams have looked lately.
8-2 in their last 10 games, averaging 4.2 goals and allowing 2.8.
Top scorers — Dylan Strome (16 points) and Alexander Ovechkin (13 points, including 8 goals).
Defensive dominance from Logan Thompson with a 2.96 GAA and a .900 SV%.
2-6-2 in their last 10 games as they’re struggling offensively with just 2.2 goals per game while allowing 3.6.
Big contributors — Sidney Crosby (9 points) and Rickard Rakell (8 points).
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has a 3.07 GAA and a .883 save percentage.
With the Capitals enjoying the favor of the home ice, their offensive firepower could take advantage of a Penguins defense that has been, for the most part, inconsistent on the road.
Washington’s recent form at home shows an impressive blend of efficient scoring and solid goaltending. This is a combo Pittsburgh may struggle to handle.
We’re confidently betting on the Washington Capitals on the 3-way moneyline at -105 to come out on top. You might even want to stretch it a bit and go for the puck line.
Given Pittsburgh’s issues on the road and Washington’s outstanding and absolutely dominant home record, the Capitals are looking the best to notch another win in 60 minutes. If you want to get even more value from this matchup, you might want to pair Washington's win with the total goals market. The total is at 6.5 but if the Caps get on a roll, they’ll blow through that on their own.
However, for now, we’re taking this game as an easy 4.2 bet.
BettorsInsider Prediction: Washington Capitals to win, 4-2