Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Washington Capitals (38-22-10) travel to meet the Pittsburgh Penguins (41-21-10) at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ABC/ESPN+.

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Score Prediction

Capitals 4, Penguins 2

Best Bet

Capitals +120

WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS PREDICTIONS

The Capitals are coming off a scintillating 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning as short 'dogs at home, as Ilya Samsonov bested Andrei Vasilevskiy and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs at COA. It was a nice turnaround for the Caps, who had dropped the past two games to the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild by a combined score of 11-2.

The Penguins are in third place in the Metropolitan Division, six points clear of the Capitals. However, the Caps also have two games in hand, so this is a game of ultra importance. Pittsburgh is on a three-game slide, including a 3-0 shutout loss against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on Thursday. The Pens have been outscored 12-6 during the three-game nosedive.

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WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BETTING ODDS

Capitals +120
Penguins -140
Capitals +1.5 (-250)
Penguins -1.5 (+170)
Over 5.5 (-189)
Under 5.5 (+138)

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WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BETTING RESOURCES

  • Date: Saturday, April 9, 2022
  • Matchup: Metropolitan vs. Metropolitan
  • Venue: PPG Paints Arena
  • Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • TV-Time: ABC/ESPN+, 3:00 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON CAPITALS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 38-22-10
  • ATS: 35-35
  • O/U: 40-28-2

The Capitals currently sit with 86 points, and if the season ended today, Washington would square off with current top-seed Florida. The Capitals have dropped two of the three regular-season matchups with the Panthers, so the Caps likely want to do everything in their power to get out of that.

Washington has won four straight games on the road, and five of the past seven as an underdog. The good news is that the Caps have won five of the past six games inside the division, and seven of the previous eight against Eastern Conference teams overall. However, they're just 1-4 in the past five against winning teams, and that's an area Washington needs vast improvement in a hurry, or their playoff aspirations might not last very long.

For totals, it's been all OVER all the time lately for Washington. The OVER has cashed in 13 of the past 16 games overall, including six straight games on the road. The OVER has connected in seven straight against Eastern Conference teams, and five in a row inside the division. The OVER has also hit in seven of the past nine against winning teams.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 41-21-10
  • ATS: 35-37
  • O/U: 35-34-3

The Penguins are skidding when it matters most, and that's a bit concerning. In addition, Pittsburgh has dropped three straight to the New York Rangers, a team they're pursuing, in the Metro. Since March 23, Pittsburgh is just 2-5-1 in eight games, scoring two or fewer goals in four of those outings.

Pittsburgh has also had some issues against teams with a winning record, going just 1-5 in the past six. The Penguins are 1-4 in the past five against Eastern Conference teams, too.

For totals, the OVER is 9-3-1 in the past 13 games at home, including 7-3-1 in the past 11 as a home favorite. However, the UNDER is 6-1-1 in the past eight against Metropolitan Division foes, while cashing at an 8-3-1 clip in the past 12 when working on a day of rest. And, for whatever it's worth, the UNDER is 7-0 in Pittsburgh's past seven played on a Saturday.

The Capitals have won two of the three meetings vs. the Penguins this season. (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BETTING CONCLUSION

The road team has won four of the past five in this series, and the underdog has hit in five of the past seven meetings as well. Those trends point to Washington squeaking out a road victory here, as does the fact that it has just been playing a little bit better of late.

This is an important game, and it's always fun to see Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby go head-to-head, especially when the stakes are a little higher. Look for a fair amount of offense in this game, although I wouldn't necessarily bet the OVER 5.5 (-189) line, as that's just too much juice.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BETTING TRENDS

  • Capitals are 4-0 in past four road games.
  • Capitals are 5-2 in past seven as an underdog.
  • Capitals are 7-1 in past eight vs. Eastern Conference teams.
  • Capitals are 5-1 in past six vs. Metropolitan Division teams.
  • Capitals are 6-2 in past eight as road underdog.
  • Penguins are 1-4 in past five games overall.
  • Penguins are 1-5 in past six vs. winning teams.
  • Penguins are 1-4 in past five vs. Eastern Conference teams.
  • OVER is 13-3 in past 16 games overall for Capitals.
  • OVER is 6-0 in past six road games for Capitals.
  • OVER is 6-0 in past six as an underdog for Capitals.
  • OVER is 7-0 in past seven vs. Eastern Conference teams for Capitals.
  • OVER is 7-2 in past nine vs. winning teams for Capitals.
  • OVER is 9-3-1 in past 13 home games for Penguins.
  • OVER is 7-3-1 in past 11 as home favorite for Pens.
  • Road team is 4-1 in past five meetings.
  • Underdog is 5-2 in past seven meetings.
  • OVER is 5-1 in past six meetings.
  • OVER is 7-1 in past eight meetings in Pittsburgh.