Pittsburgh vs. Washington NHL Betting Preview & Prediction

Posted by Ryan Knuppel on Wednesday,April 6, 2016 1:35, EDT in

The top two teams in the Metropolitan Division will get together for some pro hockey odds on Thursday, as the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Washington Capitals. The Washington Capitals, at home, will be where they start their postseason run. Washington has 116 points, which is 16 points better than the Penguins. The Capitals are 55-17-6 on the season. For Pittsburgh, they are just 3 points ahead of the New York Rangers for second in the division. The Penguins are 46-25-8 on the season. Pittsburgh is coming off a 6-2 win over Philadelphia, while the Capitals were blanked in Arizona.

How To Bet on the Penguins vs. Capitals NHL Odds, TV and Game Info

When: Thursday, April 7, 2016, 7:00 PM ET
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
TV: ROOT, CSN-DC
Radio: Penguins and Capitals
Stream Option: CSN
NHL Odds: TBA

Why Bet on the Capitals

The Washington Capitals are going to be the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Washington will start every playoff series at home, which should give them a huge boost. The Capitals are the best defensive team in the league; allowing teams to score just 2.3 goals per game. Offensively, Washington has been solid as well. The Capitals are scoring 3 goals per game. While most hockey fans know Alex Ovechkin, many do not know of Evgeny Kuznetsov, who leads the team with 75 points.

Why Bet on the Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading back to the postseason, and have reached 100 points for the second time in three seasons. The Penguins are led by Sidney Crosby, who has scored 33 goals, and dished out 49 assists. Pittsburgh is scoring 2.9 goals per game, and allowing teams to score 2.4. Both of those rank in the Top 10 in the National Hockey League. The Penguins will take on either the New York Rangers or the New York Islanders in the first round of the postseason, and likely at home.

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

The Washington Capitals have not played their best hockey late in the season. Look for that to start to change, as they know they need to start playing better. The Capitals offense is tremendous, when clicking on all cylinders. The Penguins also can score, but look for that ultra tough defense to be the biggest key in this game. In the end, the home team is going to win on their own ice. The bet for this game is the Washington Capitals -133 over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

Our final score prediction: Washington 5 and Pittsburgh 2.