If you took a straw poll of all the players in the NHL and asked if they would rather have their team be the favorite or the underdog heading into the playoffs, I think it’s fair to say that the dog would have its day. Being the favorite means you are considered to be the best team in the league, but it also means you have to deal with a whole lot more pressure given the level of expectation heaped upon you. Teams routinely crack under the weight of that pressure, and it looks as though the Washington Capitals may be set to join the long list of teams that have done just that. The Caps entered the playoffs looking almost unbeatable, but they have been humbled in the worst possible way by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the playoffs. Washington heads home for Game 5, and now needs to win in order to avoid elimination. You can wager on this game by visiting the NHL betting page bu clicking here.
A Quick Preview of Pittsburgh at Washington Expert NHL Playoffs Pick Game 5 & TV Info
When: Saturday, May 7 at 7:15 PM EST
Where: Verizon Center, Washington
TV: NBC
Radio: Pittsburgh / Washington
Live Stream: NHL.tv
NHL Odds: TBA
Why Bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins?
If you had been told before this series began that it was going to be a tight, defensive battle, you would have probably given the edge to the Washington Capitals. The Penguins are noted more as an offensive powerhouse, which makes their performance in their own end of the ice all the more impressive in this series. They have stifled the Capitals at every turn, and have proven to be more than a little opportunistic in front of net. That proved to be the case again in Game 4, where Patric Hornqvist finally found an inch of space and buried the game winner early in OT. It is a goal that has given the Penguins all the momentum, and which may prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the Caps.
Why Bet on the Washington Capitals?
If truth be told, the Washington Capitals really haven’t had to face much in the way of adversity to this point in the season. They breezed through the regular season, and while they huffed and puffed a little against the Flyers in Round 1, that series never really looked in doubt. Now that they have finally been tested, they have been found lacking. The offense has all but vanished in this series, and they have been unable to break down a Penguins team that is proving to be a whole lot stubborner than anyone expected. Even if the Capitals win this one, do we all really think they can complete the comeback by winning 3 in a row?
Expert Betting Pick and Final Score Prediction
You don’t like to think that a single goal can change an entire series, but that’s exactly what I believed happened with that OT winner in the last game. The task for the Capitals is now monumental, and I think they are too badly broken to make it happen.
Pittsburgh Penguins 3 Washington Capitals 2
