Road Team Has Struggled in This Marquee Matchup Between Pens and Caps

The matchup everyone’s been waiting for all season is finally here. We haven’t necessarily been waiting for the Caps and Pens to meet in the second round, we just figured it would probably happen. Pittsburgh has beaten Washington in six straight playoff series and most are of the belief that if Alex Ovechkin wants to ever beat Sidney Crosby in the playoffs, this is the year he has to do it.

SHARK BITES
  • The road team is 0-8 SU in the last 8 games in this matchup.
  • Marc-Andre Fleury had an .884 save percentage and 4.02 GAA against the Caps in the regular season.
  • The Capitals are 22-4 SU in their last 26 games as home favorites.

Sportsbooks opened the Capitals as significant home faves in Game 1 and considering the trends, that makes sense. The home team has dominated this matchup of late and Washington was the premier home club in the NHL in the regular season, going 32-9 SU at the Verizon Center.

Some may look at Marc-Andre Fleury’s .933 save percentage in the first round and think that he’s back to being a reliable goaltender but that’s simply not the case. The Flower gave up too many goals on low-danger scoring chances against the Jackets and when you go from facing the likes of Brandon Dubinsky and Brandon Saad to Alexander Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie, the chances of conceding goals quickly escalates.

If the Pens are going to stick around in this series while Matt Murray heals up, they’ll have to score a ton of goals to make up for what they lack at the back end. I anticipate a high-scoring affair in Game 1 and I’ll be looking at an OVER 5.5.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

Betting fans looking to side with the Washington Capitals in this one found them earlier as -140 favorites on the NHL money line at Sportsbook. Betting the over under total instead? It was hovering near 5.5 at its open earlier today at Sportsbook and may have moved.

Prediction-scoring formulas run on this game pick a potential 3.2-2.6 result in favor of the Penguins. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

Supporters of the Pittsburgh Penguins have seen them go 54-22-11 so far this season, while the Capitals are at 59-19-10. In totals betting, the Washington Capitals are 39-34-15, while the Penguins are 50-32-5. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Washington vs Pittsburgh injuries news.

The NHL Power Rankings at Odds Shark show the No. 5-rated Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the No. 3-rated Washington Capitals in this contest.

Statistical Matchup

Offensively, the game matches up the Washington Capitals No. 2-ranked offense (3.19 goals per game) against a Pittsburgh Penguins defense that ranks No. 17 at 2.84 goals per game allowed. The Capitals Sportsbook has clicked at a 23.48% rate while the Penguins have a 79.93% rate on the penalty kill.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

 

Washington won its last outing, a 2-1 result against the Maple Leafs on April 23. Bettors who backed the Capitals at -139 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (3) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Betting Trends
  • Pittsburgh is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
  • Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
  • Pittsburgh is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games on the road
  • Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
  • Washington is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games
  • Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

Next Betting Matchups

Pittsburgh at Washington, Saturday, April 29th

The road team is 0-8 SU in the last 8 games in this matchup.away Marc-Andre Fleury had an .884 save percentage and 4.02 GAA against the Caps in the regular season.away The Capitals are 22-4 SU in their last 26 games as home favorites.home
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