Penguins vs. Capitals Prediction
The Washington Capitals are winners of five in a row heading into tonight’s home showdown against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Is a bet on the favored Capitals the right wager to make tonight or can the Penguins pull off the upset?
Game Snapshot
83 Pittsburgh Penguins at 84 Washington Capitals
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Capital One Arena at 8PM ET
TV: NBCSN
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Capitals are a -142 favorite on the moneyline. The Penguins are a +122 underdog, while the total is set at 6.5 goals. As of Wednesday morning, 64 percent of public bets are siding with host Washington. Check out our NHL Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Penguins doubled up by Ducks
Pittsburgh fell at home Monday night against Anaheim by a count of 4-2 to drop to 15-12-6 on the season. The Penguins grabbed a 2-0 advantage through one period before surrendering four unanswered goals. Evgeni Malkin scored his 11th goal of the season on the power play to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead in the first. Kris Letang and Phil Kessel assisted on the score. Bryan Rust scored later in the period on an assist from Sidney Crosby. The Ducks scored three times in the second period before adding an insurance goal in the third. Casey DeSmith made 32 saves on 35 shots in the defeat.
Ovechkin, Caps edge Sabres
Washington won its fifth consecutive game in a shootout Saturday as it downed Buffalo by a count of 4-3. Alex Ovechkin tied the game in the second period at 3-3 before clinching it in the shootout as his score sent the Capitals (20-9-3) to the victory. Evgeny Kuznetsov also scored for Washington in the shootout. Brett Connolly scored in the first period on an assist from Devante Smith-Pelly to tie it at 1-1. Jakub Vrana gave the Caps a 2-1 advantage later in the first period on an assist from Kuznetsov. The Sabres scored the game-tying and go-ahead goals in the second before Ovechkin tied it back up with Nicklas Backstrom and Dmitry Orlov assisting. Pheonix Copley recorded 26 saves on 29 shots in the winning effort.
NHL Betting Trends
Pittsburgh
The Penguins are 4-1 in their last five games versus a team with a winning record. Pittsburgh is 2-8 in its last 10 road games.
Washington
The Capitals are 5-0 in their last five games versus Metropolitan Division. Washington is 10-1 in its last 11 games following a win.
Prediction:
Washington is playing hockey at a very high level right now, with no sign of a hangover after its Staney Cup title last June. Ovechkin is finding the back of the net at an extremely high clip. Don’t expect Pittsburgh and its leaky defense to slow down Alex and the Caps on their home ice.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON CAPITALS -142