Capitals vs Penguins Prediction - NHL Picks 3/7/24

Pittsburgh Penguins (28-24-8) vs Washington Capitals (28-23-9)

Game Info: Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 7:00 pm (PPG Paints Arena)

Betting Odds: Pittsburgh Penguins -179 / Washington Capitals +144 --- Over/Under: 6.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: ESPN+

The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins face off on Thursday in a NHL showdown at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins need another strong offensive game, while the Capitals are trying to bounce back after a loss.

Penguins Offense Impressed in Last Game

The Penguins in the last game faced off against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the last game and they scored five goals on the way to the victory. Reily Smith had a strong game putting up one goal and adding two assist. The Penguins are averaging 2.95 goals while their defense is giving up 2.78 goals per game. The offense is ranked 23rd, and in this game it’s going to be important the offense is good again. Jake Guentzel is dealing with an upper body injury and he’s dealing with an upper body injury. 

Capitals Coming off a Bad Loss

The Capitals have had an awful season, and they are coming off another bad loss in the last game. The Capitals scored two goals, but the defense gave up five and that led to the three goal loss. Two games ago against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Capitals were able to win 5-2, and they need that offense to get going here. The Capitals are averaging 2.62 goals, while their defense is giving up 3.15 goals per game. The offense is ranked 30th while the defense is ranked 19th. Dylan Storme has scored 22 goals and added 25 assists. 

Pittsburgh Penguins Player Prop Facts

  • Rickard Rakell has scored a goal in four of the Penguins' last five games as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
  • Evgeni Malkin has recorded an assist in each of the Penguins' last nine games as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
  • Evgeni Malkin has recorded at least one point in each of the Penguins' last nine games as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
  • Marcus Pettersson ranks T1st in the Metropolitan Division for Plus/Minus (+20) this season.

Washington Capitals Player Prop Facts

  • Alex Ovechkin has scored a goal in each of the Capitals' last three games at PPG Paints Arena.
  • Rasmus Sandin has recorded at least one point in each of his last six appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
  • Rasmus Sandin has recorded at least one assist in each of his last six appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
  • John Carlson ranks 1st in the Eastern Conference for average time on ice (25:51) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 28th in the league in power play percentage this season (15.35%).
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 6th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (82.32%).
  • The Washington Capitals rank 30th in the league for goals per game this season (2.62).
  • The Washington Capitals rank 32nd in the league in short handed goals this season (2).

Penguins vs Capitals Betting Prediction

These are two teams that have really struggled to score all season, and it’s going to be no different in this game. The Capitals are averaging 2.95 goals while the Penguins are averaging 2.61 goals per game. Both of these teams are going to really struggle to get the offense going here, and that is going to be the difference here. Look for only three or four goals scored total, and this game is going to stay under the total. 

Shane’s Pick Under

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The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

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