The highly anticipated second round series between the Capitals and Penguins gets underway tonight at the Verizon Center in D.C. The Penguins will look to continue a trend that’s seen them absolutely dominate on the road, as they’re now 10-1 in their last 11 road games, which includes two wins in New York in their first round series against the Rangers.
- The Penguins are 12-2 in their last 14 games.
- The Penguins are 11-2 in their last 13 games after winning the previous game in a matchup.
- The Capitals are 21-9 in their last 30 games at home.
This matchup has seen the favored team go 14-6 over the past 20 games. As -134 favorites tonight, the Capitals have put together a 22-8 record in their last 30 games as home favorites, but a smaller sample size has seen them go just 5-5 in that spot over their last 10 games, which included a 4-3 loss to the Penguins on April 7.
The Pens came out on top in the five games the teams played against each other during the regular season, winning three games. The last eight times the teams have met in Washington has seen Pittsburgh win six times.
The game opened with a total of five goals — a mark these teams have topped in two straight games against each other after failing to do so in their previous three. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but the Pens have gone OVER in 15 of their last 16 games on a Thursday.
The spotlight in this series will shine brightly on superstars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. In five games against the Pens this season, Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet while Crosby registered four points. For more on the two team captains, check out our head-to-head history of Crosby vs Ovechkin.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
If you're backing the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins in this one, they Penguins listed earlier today as underdogs of 120 at most sportsbooks, including Sportsbook. Those over/under total betting saw the number open in the area of 5, depending on the book.
Odds Shark computer score prediction models pick a possible 3.2-2.4 win for the Penguins on Thursday. 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
The Capitals sit at 60-20-8 on the season; in comparison, the Pittsburgh Penguins are currently 52-27-8. Looking to wager on the totals? Washington is 34-36-18 OU, and Pittsburgh is 39-33-15 OU. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Washington vs Pittsburgh injuries news.
The Washington Capitals sit at No. 15 in the current NHL power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Pittsburgh Penguins sit at a No. 1 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Washington Capitals No. 3-ranked offense (3.02 goals per game) against a Pittsburgh Penguins defense that ranks No. 5 at 2.45 goals per game allowed. The Capitals Sportsbook has clicked at a 22.99% rate while the Penguins have a 84.67% rate on the penalty kill.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Penguins were a 6-3 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against the Rangers. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Pittsburgh at -178 on the moneyline, while the total score (9) was good news for OVER bettors.
In their last action, Washington was a 1-0 Sportsbook on the road against the Flyers. Bettors on Washington at -166 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (1) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well.
- Pittsburgh is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games
- Pittsburgh is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games on the road
- Pittsburgh is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing Washington
- Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games
- Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
- Washington is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Pittsburgh
Next Betting Matchups
Pittsburgh at Washington, Saturday, April 30th
