The Washington Capitals (28-23-9) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins (28-24-8) on Thursday, March 7th. This game will be played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and televised on ESPN+. The Penguins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Capitals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Coyotes. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Capitals vs Penguins

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a record of 28-23-9, the Capitals are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and 5th in the Metropolitan Division. So far this season, Washington has gone 18-17 against other Eastern Conference teams and 13-8 within the division. On the road, the Capitals have a record of 12-13-4.

Over their last ten games, Washington has gone 5-5, and they have gone 2-3 over their last five games. As the underdog, the Capitals have gone 16-20-7 this season, and they have gone 1-2 in their last three games.

Washington comes into the game with a puck line record of 28-32 for the season and 14 multiple-goal wins. They have gone 6-4 against the puck line in their last ten games and 3-2 in their last five games. On the road, the Capitals have a puck line record of 13-16, and they have gone 2-1 against the puck line in their last three road games.

As the underdog, Washington has a puck line record of 24-19, and they have gone 1-2 against the puck line in their last three games. So far, the Capitals have an average scoring margin of -0.6 goals per game, and they have 21 losses by more than one goal. Against teams favored to win, Washington has a puck line record of 4-13.

The Capitals are looking to bounce back from a 5-2 loss at home to the Coyotes. On offense, the Capitals were held scoreless in the first period, but found the net one time in the second period and ended with one goal in the third. Of Washington’s two goals, one came while in power play. They ended the game with 23 shots on goal and had 10 giveaways.

In this game, Washington was favored by -1.5, but they suffered a loss against the puck line. The over/under line going into the game was 6 goals, which the teams surpassed with their combined 7 goals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win

At home this season, the Penguins have a record of 16-10-4 and have won three straight games. Overall, Pittsburgh is 28-24-8 and sits in 6th place in the Metropolitan Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference. Against teams from the East, the Penguins have gone 15-18 this year.

When favored this season, Pittsburgh has a record of 19-14-5 and has won three straight games. Over their last ten games, the Penguins have gone 5-5 and have gone 2-3 in their last five games. In their last three games, Pittsburgh has gone 1-2.

When favored this season, the Penguins have gone 15-23 vs. the puck line, and they have 19 wins by multiple goals. So far, Pittsburgh’s average scoring differential is +.2 goals per game. Over their last ten home games, the Penguins have gone just 5-5 vs. the puck line.

So far, the Penguins have an average scoring differential of +.4 goals per game at home, and their overall puck line record is 29-31. In their last ten games, Pittsburgh has gone 5-5 vs. the puck line.

The Penguins played host to the Blue Jackets in their previous game and emerged with a 5-3 win. The Penguins’ offense scored in each period against the Blue Jackets. Out of Pittsburgh’s five goals, two were scored during power plays. They concluded the game with 31 shots on goal and had nine giveaways.

Coming into the game favored by -1.5, Pittsburgh also managed to pick up a victory against the puck line. With a combined total of 8 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 6.5 goals set for the game.

Washington Offense Breakdown

The Capitals come into the game scoring an average of 2.6 goals per game, putting them 30th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 31st in the league. Washington’s offense comes into the game ranked 27th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 32nd in the NHL.

This season, the Capitals’ have an over/under record of 28-30-2. Throughout the season, they have played 35 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 5.9 goals per game.

Penguins Offense Breakdown

When looking at their offense, the Penguins have an average of 3 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 25th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 11th in the league. The Pittsburgh offense is ranked 25th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 26th in the NHL.

The Penguins come in with an over/under record of 24-33-3. Over the course of the season, they have had 35 games failing to surpass the 6.5 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 5.8 per game.

Washington Team Defense

Washington defense takes on the Penguins ranked 25th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 30.3 shots per game against Washington. They also are 14th in shutouts, with 4 shutouts.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Penguins head into the game ranked 24th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30 shots per game against Pittsburgh. So far, they are 1st in shutouts, achieving 7 shutouts.

Capitals vs Penguins Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Washington has been good against the puck line posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 3 goals per game.
• In their last three home games, Pittsburgh has averaged 5 goals per game while allowing 3. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Penguins have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 2-3.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Capitals have a straight up record of 1-2 and an puck line mark of 0-3.

Capitals vs Penguins Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Capitals to defeat the Penguins while playing on the road. Given the current moneyline odds at +137, I’m placing a wager on the Capitals to win outright.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Capitals winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Capitals straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.