Penguins, Capitals Picks, Predictions: Who Will Prevail in Another Crosby-Ovechkin Showdown?
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins head to the nation’s capital to take on Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. Let's examine the matchup with our top picks for Wednesday night’s Penguins-Capitals game.
Neither the Penguins nor the Capitals are producing the season they wanted to thus far, especially with all the talent on both rosters. The Penguins’ offense has done its job, but their defense has been struggling. And the opposite is true for Washington, with the Capitals' offense sputtering.
Here are my NHL picks and predictions for Wednesday night’s Penguins-Capitals game (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, and DraftKings Sportsbook; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5 scale).
Check out our NHL best bets for Wednesday.
Penguins vs. Capitals Info
Date: Wednesday November 9, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington DC
Penguins vs. Capitals Odds
Penguins vs. Capitals Analysis
The Penguins are the moneyline favorites, ranging from -125 to -137. Both cash and tickets have come in favor of the Capitals, with 54% of the cash and 71% of the tickets backing Washington.
The total is set at 6.5 at all major sportsbooks. The Under is drawing 64% of the cash and 53% of the tickets.
Penguins vs. Capitals Picks
Penguins vs. Capitals ML Pick
Capitals (+114) ★★★
The team's top two lines are carrying Washington’s offense. That’s expected, but the club's secondary scoring has been close to nonexistent. Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and Evgeny Kuznetsov have accounted for 36 of the 75 points Washington’s offense has recorded.
Luckily, Washington’s blue line has been standing tall. It's a key part of a team allowing just 2.93 goals per game. That's not a great sign for a Penguins team with the opposite problem.
Pittsburgh’s offense hasn’t been an issue at all. It's averaging 3.50 goals per contest, and is getting contributions beyond just Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, and Bryan Rust. Rickard Rakell has already recorded five goals over 12 games. Unfortunately, the Penguins are giving up an average of 3.67 goals per matchup.
Though both of these teams aren’t where they want to be right now, the Capitals can rely on their top six because they boast the defense to back those lines up. Pittsburgh can’t say the same at the moment.
Penguins vs. Capitals O/U Pick
Under 6.5 (-110) ★★
Washington goaltender Darcy Kuemper has looked better in 2022 than his stats lead you to believe (2.42 goals-against average, 0.919 save percentage). There's also a blue line he can trust most of the time.
Meanwhile, Tristan Jarry and the Penguins’ defense have been struggling to start the season. If the Capitals' offense was in top form, I’d take the Over. But with so little noise from Washington’s bottom six in combination with a strong defense, go with the Under.
Penguins vs. Capitals Prop Pick
Malkin over 0.5 assists (+100) ★★★
Malkin is known for being a playmaker, and he’s played a significant role during every Penguins win so far. He's already logged seven assists on the season while leading the team. If something good is happening on the ice, Malkin is likely involved.
For the Penguins to get quality shots on net, they'll need solid scoring chances and setups. Malkin is always the guy for the job.
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Penguins-Capitals picks made 11/9/2022 at 10:52 a.m. ET.
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