Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Preview
Planning on watching today’s Capitals and Penguins game? Catch the action at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA, as the Penguins hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+.
The over/under for this game is set at 6.5 goals, and the Penguins are favored by -1.5 against the Capitals in a Metropolitan division matchup. Check out BetCoco for Pittsburgh Penguins – Washington Capitals odds
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The last five times that the Penguins have hosted the Capitals, they have an above .500 record at 3-2. Not only have the Capitals gone 2-1 against the puck line in their last three games vs. the Penguins, they are also 3-0 puck line the last three times they have faced the Penguins on the road.
- Through their last ten road contests, the Capitals offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 4. Washington posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 4-6 ATS.
- In their last five games at home, the Penguins have a straight up record of 3-2 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 4 goals per game in these contests.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Pittsburgh has an puck line mark of 7-3 while going 3-7 straight up.
- Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Washington has an puck line mark of 0-3 while going 1-2 straight up.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Prediction
As the Capitals head into this game, they are 10th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 28-23-9. In the Metropolitan Division, Washington is in 5th place, and they have gone 13-8 against divisional opponents this season.
On the road, the Capitals have gone 12-13-4, and they have been the underdog in 43 of their 60 games this year. Over their last ten games, Washington has gone 5-5, and they have gone 2-3 in their last five games.
For their offensive performance, the Capitals come in averaging 2.6 goals per game this season, which is 30th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 31st in the league. Washington’s offense comes into the game ranked 27th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 32nd in the NHL.
Entering the game, goalie Darcy Kuemper has started 27 games this season. His current record stands at 13-12, and his save percentage is 0.694%.
At home this season, the Penguins have gone 16-10-4, including a three-game winning streak. Overall, Pittsburgh has gone 28-24-8 and are 11th in the Eastern Conference. In the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins are in 6th place with a record of 8-8.
When favored this season, Pittsburgh has gone 19-14-5 and have won three straight games when favored. In their last ten games, the Penguins have gone 5-5, including a 2-3 record in their last five games.
For their offensive performance, the Penguins come in averaging 3 goals per game this season, which is 25th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 11th in the league. So far this year, the Penguins are 18-15 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 9-9 in games with fewer shots on goal.
Goalie Tristan Jarry gets the start and has made 41 starts this season. His record at this point is 18-19, and his save percentage is 0.889%.
Coming in as 1.5 goal favorites, our projections have the Penguins picking up a 4-3 win.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Betting Tips
- Take the Penguins on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Capitals (+1.5)
- Our NHL model projects 7 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Report
- Matt Nieto – Lower Body – Out
- Bryan Rust – Upper Body – Out
- Noel Acciari – Upper Body – Questionable
- Jake Guentzel – Upper Body – Out
- Jansen Harkins – Upper Body – Questionable
- Drew O’Connor – Concussion – Questionable
Washington Capitals Injury Report
- T.J. Oshie – Lower Body – Out
- Nicklas Backstrom – Hip – Out
- Nic Dowd – Upper Body – Out
- Martin Fehervary – Lower Body – Out
