Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, and the Pittsburgh Penguins will face off against Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Ovechkin, and the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in a Metro Division showdown. The opening face-off takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 7, and it’ll be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals Odds
Pittsburgh (+105) is entering this one as the underdog to Washington (-125) and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 7 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -110 money on the over and -110 for the under.
Washington is 6-7 straight up (SU) and has lost 2.5 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is a noticeable slide from what the team recorded during last year’s regular season (49-33). Through 13 regular season outings, nine of the team’s games have gone over the total, while three have gone under and just one has pushed. The team’s 4-3 SU at home this season.
The Capitals currently have the strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as the team has converted on 36.6 percent of their extra-man chances this year. On the other hand, their penalty kill is rated 25th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 75.0 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 26.9 saves per game with a .888 save percentage, Braden Holtby (four wins, six losses, and three OT losses) has been the top goalkeeper for the Caps this year. If Washington decides to give him the evening off, however, the team may turn to Pheonix Copley (2-2-2 record, .898 save percentage, 3.14 goals against average).
On the other bench, Pittsburgh is 6-7 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. A total of six of its matches have gone under the total, while five have gone over and just two have pushed. The Penguins are 4-2 SU as the road team this season.
The Penguins have converted on 23.1 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 11th overall and it’s successfully defended 81.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Matt Murray (27.7 saves per game) has been the main choice in the net for Pittsburgh. Murray owns a 4-5-1 record, and has registered a .886 save percentage and 3.87 goals against average this year.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Capitals, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes
The Capitals are 2-4 SU when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Penguins are 3-3 SU in games where they serve more minutes than the opposition.
Washington is 1-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Pittsburgh is 0-2 in shootouts.
For both of these clubs, the total has gone over in three of their past five matchups.
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