The Washington Capitals face the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semis. The action gets started at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, May 7, and it’s being televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Odds
Pittsburgh enters the game as the substantial favorite with a -185 moneyline. The line for Washington sits at +160 and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The odds for betting the total sit at -130 for the over and +110 for the under.
Washington is 56-37 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 12.9 units this year. 52 of its matches have gone over the total, while 39 have gone under and just two have pushed. This 2017-18 Capitals team is 25-21 SU on the road.
Following a regular season where they converted 23.9 percent of all power-play opportunities (the seventh-strongest), the Capitals have connected on 31.7 percent of their power plays in the postseason. Their penalty kill’s gone from 80.1 percent in the regular season to 78.6 percent in the playoffs.
Washington’s offense attempted 29.5 shots per game in the regular season, leading to 3.2 goals per outing (ranked ninth overall in the NHL). In the playoffs, the team’s up to an average of 33.1 shots on goal ( 3.7 goals per game).
Averaging 27.5 saves per game with a .910 save percentage, Braden Holtby (41-23-5) has been the top option in goal for Washington this season. If head coach Barry Trotz chooses to rest him, however, Washington could turn to Philipp Grubauer (15-22-5), who has a .919 save percentage and 2.47 goals against average this year.
The visiting Capitals have relied on Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov this year. Ovechkin has 101 points via 57 goals and 44 assists, and has recorded multiple points 30 times. Kuznetsov has 33 goals and 63 assists to his creditand has notched at least one point in 56 games.
Even though it’s posted a record of 53-40 straight up (SU), Pittsburgh has lost moneyline bettors a total of 4.1 units this season. Through 93 regular season outings, 51 of its games have gone over the total, while 37 have gone under and just five have pushed. It’s 32-14 SU as the home team this year.
Pittsburgh currently has the first-best power-play unit in the NHL, as the team has found the net on 25.7 percent of its extra-man advantages this year. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 17th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 80.3 percent of all opponent power plays.
Pittsburgh skaters have been whistled for penalties 4.0 times per game in total this season, and 4.8 per game over their last five home outings. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays just 8.2 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Matt Murray (25.8 saves per game) has been the primary selection in goal for Pittsburgh. Murray has 35 wins, 25 losses, and three overtime losses to his credit and has registered a mediocre 2.84 goals against average and a fairly-weak .906 save percentage this year.
The Pens offense will be led by Sidney Crosby (38 goals, 71 assists).
Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins Free Picks
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Notes
Betting Notes
The under has hit in three of Pittsburgh’s last five games.
The Penguins are 16-8 in games where the team outshoots its opponent by 10 or more. They’ve averaged the league’s second-most shots on goal (33.9) while the Capitals have attempted just the 31st-most (33.9).
Over Washington’s last ten games, five of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 4-1 in those games).
The Pens this season have tallied the sixth-most hits per game (24.5), but the club has averaged 32.0 over their past five games as the home team.
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