Can the Washington Capitals Win the Season Series Against the Pittsburgh Penguins?

On Saturday afternoon, the Washington Capitals will head to the PPG Paints Arena to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division matchup. The Capitals are fourth in the Metropolitan Division (37-22-10, 84 points), while the Penguins are third in the Metropolitan Division (41-19-10, 92 points) right now. Washington has a 2-1 season series lead and picked up an overtime 4-3 road win back on February 1. 

Both of these teams are gearing up for the playoffs and do not want to end up as a Wild Card team and want to win against a divisional opponent. Let’s take a closer look at the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins to determine where we should be placing our bets. 

Can the Washington Capitals’ Veteran Offense Dominate Against Tristan Jarry and the Pittsburgh Penguins Defense?

The Capitals have been playing well on the offensive side of the ice this year as they are averaging 3.20 goals on 31.2 shot attempts this year. Veteran left winger Alex Ovechkin has been doing extremely well as he is fourth in the NHL in goals and 16th in the sport in points as he has posted 79 points (42 goals, 37 assists) while adding three points in his last five games. Washington is allowing 2.90 goals on 29.2 shots right now as a team. Goalie Ilya Samsonov has struggled inside of the net as he is 19-9-4 with 2.95 goals allowed per game and an .899 save percentage. 

Center Sidney Crosby has been playing very well so far this season as he is tied for 43rd in the sport in goals, tied for 21st in the league in assists, and tied for 19th in all of hockey in points as he has recorded 72 points (26 goals, 46 assists) with an additional six points in his previous four games. Offensively, Pittsburgh is scoring 3.29 goals on 34.6 shots thus far. Goaltender Tristan Jarry has been one of the best in the league as he is 33-15-6 with a .921 save percentage and 2.34 goals allowed per game. On the defensive side of the game, the Penguins are giving up 2.60 goals on 30.5 shot attempts up to this point. 

Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Prediction

Tristan Jarry has been one of the best players in the entire league, and the injuries surrounding the wings for Pittsburgh does not scare me off of them. Despite that, the offense as of late has shown the biggest difference as Washington is averaging 2.4 goals per game in their previous five games while Pittsburgh is scoring 4.8 goals per game in their last four games played. The Capitals are 34-35 against the spread, while the Penguins are 35-35 against the spread this season, so that means there is no advantage in that stretch. All in all, go with the Pittsburgh Penguins to cover the puck line in this game at home in a divisional matchup against the Washington Capitals.

* All odds 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.