Penguins vs Capitals Prediction, NHL Odds & Picks (Jan. 26)

Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin renew their rivalry when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals collide on Thursday, Jan. 26. This is the second Penguins vs Capitals matchup of the season after Pittsburgh picked up a 4-1 victory back on Nov. 9. Funny enough, that game also took place in the nation’s capital, leaving time to tell if there’s a different result tonight.

The Penguins enter tonight’s game following Tuesday’s 7-6 overtime win against the Florida Panthers. Defenseman Kris Letang put on a show in his first game since his father’s passing, finishing with a game-high four points — including the overtime game-winning goal.

Meanwhile, the Capitals have had some issues lately, dropping three of their last four games in regulation. They’re coming off back-to-back road losses to the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, making it interesting to see if Washington can reverse its fortunes at Capital One Arena.

Not only is this contest shaping up to be interesting, but there are a number of betting opportunities in this Penguins vs Capitals tilt that you won’t want to miss. Here’s a look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest NHL odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins (24-15-8, 10-10- Away) vs. Washington Capitals (25-19-6, 13-8-3 Home)
• Venue & Location: Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
• Date: Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Penguins vs Capitals TV Info: ESPN+, Hulu

Penguins vs Capitals Odds

Game odds are via FanDuel as of Thursday, Jan. 26 at 8:04 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 (-260)
• Washington Capitals -1.5 (+205)

Over/Under

• Over 6 Goals (-118)
• Under 6 Goals (-104)

Moneyline

• Pittsburgh Penguins -102
• Washington Capitals -11u

Penguins vs Capitals Betting Trends

• Pittsburgh is 1-7 straight up in its last eight road games.
• Washington is 1-4 straight up in its last five home games against Pittsburgh.
• The total has hit the under in five of Pittsburgh’s last seven games against the Eastern Conference.
• The total has hit the under in eight of Washington’s last 12 games played on Thursday.
• The total has hit the over in four of the last five Pittsburgh-Washington matchups.

Penguins vs Capitals Prediction and Picks

Penguins vs Capitals Prediction: Capitals 4, Penguins 3

Penguins vs Capitals Best Bet: Capitals ML (Best Value: -118 at FanDuel) & Over 6 Goals (Best Value: -118 at FanDuel)

The Capitals have had their struggles lately, but it’s worth noting that their last two losses came against the Avalanche and Golden Knights: two of the better teams in the NHL’s Western Conference. The fact that both contests were on the road didn’t help either.

A return home should help the Capitals against the Penguins, who’ve struggled on the road lately. Pittsburgh is 1-5-2 in its last eight road games, having not won away from PPG Paints Arena since a 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 8.

One of the Penguins’ main struggles is that the penalty kill is also only working at a 76.0% success rate over the last eight road games. Although the Capitals’ power-play unit hasn’t been that great this season (20.3%, No. 20), Washington is 3-of-11 (27.3%) on the man advantage in its last three outings against Pittsburgh.

Nevertheless, the Capitals haven’t been great at home, either. They’re 1-3-1 in their last five games at Capital One Arena. Having said that, hearing the rocky crowd should boost the Caps’ spirits after an unsuccessful road trip.

People will also be tuning in tonight to see how Ovechkin and Crosby perform. When it comes to Ovechkin, he’s been heating up lately, scoring 11 goals in his last 14 games. His 31 goals are tied for sixth-most in the NHL and FanDuel Sportsbook lists him at -104 odds to find the back of the net tonight.

Meanwhile, Crosby has been looking like his usual self, too. The three-time Stanley Cup Champion has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in his last 20 games and is currently riding a five-game point streak. He’s +190 to score a goal tonight and -190 to record an assist.

Though Crosby and his Penguins have been playing better lately, I’m siding with the Capitals to win this game. Pittsburgh has struggled to finish off its opponents lately, heading to overtime in four of its last five games. I just don’t like that kind of play against the Capitals, who’ll be buzzing in their first home game in over a week.

I’m also expecting more than six goals to be scored tonight. The last five Penguins vs Capitals matchups have seen an average of 6.8 goals scored, surpassing 6.5 in three of those contests.

With both teams look currently being tied at 56 points in the Metropolitan Division and fighting for a playoff spot, I see them going back and forth all night, resulting in a decent number of goals.