Washington Capitals (9-3) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (5-7-2)
Game Info: Friday, November 8, 2024 at 7:30 pm (Capital One Arena)
The Line: Betting Odds: Washington Capitals -145 / Pittsburgh Penguins +124 — Over/Under: 5.5
The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals meet Friday in NHL action from the Capital One Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals prediction.
Pittsburgh Penguins Recap
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this one looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes last time out. The Penguins will face the Stars and Red Wings following this game.
Penguins Drop Back-To-Back Games
Evgeni Malkin has a team-high 16 points with 4 goals and a team-high 12 assists while Sidney Crosby has 15 points with a team-high 6 goals and 9 assists. Rickard Rakell has 11 points with 6 goals and 5 assists and Erik Karlsson has 8 points with a goal and 7 assists. Lars Eller and Matt Grzelcyk each have 7 points with Eller logging 4 goals and 3 assists and Grzelcyk has 7 assists. Marcus Pettersson and Jesse Puljujarvi have 6 points apiece with 5 assists. In goal for the Penguins, Joel Blomqvist has gone 2-4 with a 3.46 GAA and a .909 save percentage while Tristan Jarry has gone 1-1 with a 5.47 GAA and an .836 save percentage this season. Alex Nedeljkovic is also 2-3-2 with a 3.07 GAA and a .883 save percentage on the year.
Why the Pittsburgh Penguins will win
- The road team has won each of the last four games between the Penguins and Capitals.
- The Capitals have lost three of their last four night games at Capital One Arena against opponents on a losing streak.
- The road team has covered the puck line in each of the last 10 games between the Penguins and Capitals.
- The Capitals have failed to cover the puck line in 19 of their last 22 games as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
Washington Capitals Recap
The Washington Capitals come into this one looking to build on their 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators last time out. The Capitals will take on the Blues, Maple Leafs, Avalanche, and Golden Knights after this one.
Capitals Looking To Stay Hot
Dylan Strome leads the Capitals with 19 points including 4 goals and a team-high 15 assists while Alex Ovechkin has 16 points with 8 goals and 8 assists and Connor McMichael’s added 13 points with 8 goals and 5 assists. Aliaksei Protas has 12 points with 5 goals and 7 assists while Tom Wilson and John Carlson each have 9 points with Wilson logging 6 goals and 3 assists and Carlson adding 7 assists. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Trevor van Riemsdyk each have 7 points with a combined 13 assists between the pair. In goal for Washington, Logan Thompson has gone 6-0 with a 2.81 GAA and a .903 save percentage while Charlie Lindgren is 3-3 with a 2.70 GAA and an .896 save percentage this season.
Why the Washington Capitals will win
- The favorites have won each of the Penguins’ last 13 games.
- The Penguins have lost each of their last nine games as underdogs.
- The Capitals have covered the puck line in each of their last five games at Capital One Arena following a win.
- The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
Penguins vs. Capitals Prediction
I’m on the Capitals here. These are just two teams headed in different directions right now, and until I have a reason to deviate from them, I’m going to keep riding the hot hand. The Caps are on a roll, and it doesn’t help the Penguins being on the second half of a back-to-back. I’ll side with Washington.