Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Betting Picks

Pittsburgh scored 7 at Philadelphia and 6 against Montreal in overtime in its first two games, then scored 2 against Winnipeg on Monday, and it has allowed 0, 5, and 3 in those games. The offense finished third in the league with 293 goals last season, and the defense allowed 268, ninth-most. Washington scored fewer and allowed fewer: 263 goals, 15th, and 244 allowed, tenth-fewest. Sixty-one of Washington's 82 games last season finished UNDER the posted total, compared with 52 of 82 for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is 2-1 this season and has scored on 4 of its 10 power plays, and Washington has killed 8 of the 9 it faced. Washington is 1-1, with a 5-2 win at Carolina and a 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay; in those two games, it scored 7 and 4 goals and took 27 and 21 shots. I'm on the UNDER tonight.

Pittsburgh's defense is seventh in penalty killing. They're in the second of a back-to-back, after losing at home to Washington yesterday, 7-3. Washington's offense is 27th on the power play, while the defense is 13th in penalty killing, 11th in goals given up (2.96 per game), and tied for seventh in save percentage (.902). Washington is on a 15-9 run UNDER the total. Take Pittsburgh/Washington UNDER the total. 

Washington is 16-19-4 on the road and plays its third straight road contest. They got the trip started on a terrible note, losing 8-1 at the Rangers as a favorite. They've surrendered 15 goals in their last three road games, while the offense ranks 27th on the power play. Pittsburgh is 20-12-8 at home. The offense is third in the NHL in goals per game (3.57), seventh on the power play, and fourth in shooting percentage. The Penguins are on a 5-1 run, outscoring opponents 35-18. Play Pittsburgh. 

Washington snapped a four-game skid with a 6-1 win over St. Louis last night as Alex Ovechkin scored his 900th goal. However, now the Capitals have to play a back-to-back, and they have scored a total of only five goals in their four previous games. Charlie Lindgren will likely get the start for the Capitals, and he is 1-2-1 with a 3.46 goals-against average this season. Lindgren has allowed 14 goals in his past three appearances. Arturs Silovs is probable for Pittsburgh with a 3-2-2 mark and a 2.66 GAA with one shutout. The Penguins have won four of their last five games, playing on two days' rest, and have won 21 of their 28 Thursday games. The Penguins have won 10 of their past 14 home games, while Washington has lost six of their seven games against teams with winning records. Take the Penguins.