Penguins vs. Capitals Game 5 Pick
Will the Washington Capitals stay alive when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7:15PM ET in Game 5 of their series?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Capitals are the clear favorite at home, as they are getting odds of -175 to win, while the Penguins are getting a money line of +155 to prevail. The over/under total for the game is set at 5 goals.
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Pittsburgh took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday in Game 4. It was the first win for the home team in this series. Pittsburgh is now 57-22-12 overall and 22-16-7 on the road. Washington is 60-22-10 overall and 34-9-3 at home.
Somehow the Penguins managed a 3-2 win in Game 4 despite being without Sidney Crosby and being out-shot 38-18. Pittsburgh was handed a gift in the game when Jake Guentzel was handed a goal on a bad pass and deflection by the Capitals toward their own net. Justin Schultz got the game-winning goal in the second period on a power play after the Capitals erased a 2-0 deficit. Braden Holtby had just 15 saves in the loss while Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 36 of the 38 shots he faced.
Crosby is still listed as questionable for tonight’s game, so Pittsburgh may hold him off once more game. The Capitals should have come away with a win in Game 4, but managed to let it slip away. The Caps have elected to move Alex Ovechkin to the third line. He has just one goal in this series with three assists. The demotion could be a spark for the captain, who can take over a game when he’s at his best. There is a lot of pride at stake for the Capitals today. Falling in five games would only further their reputation as chokers. I think they find a way to live another day tonight.
NHL PLAYOFFS PREDICTION: WASHINGTON CAPITALS -175