Free NHL Hockey Prediction: Capitals vs Penguins NHL Odds
Looking for Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins free hockey plays & NHL Odds? NHL betting sees the Capitals taking on the Penguins on Tuesday February 16th at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NHL Hockey games all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NHL hockey predictions like this Capitals Penguins matchup.
NHL Handicapping Analysis
(6-4-3) Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (7-5-1)
Date: Tuesday, February 16th
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh PA
NHL Hockey Moneyline Odds: Capitals +105| Penguins -125
NHL Hockey Puck Line Odds: Penguins -1.5 (+180)
NHL Betting Total: 6.5
Washington and Pittsburgh go at it again after the Penguins tallied a 6-3 win on Sunday. The defeat was the fourth straight for the streaky Capitals, who had won three in a row prior.
Pittsburgh is riding high after the victory that tied them with the Capitals at 15 points on the season. Washington seems to be in a free fall, and the Penguins are up from -117 favorites in Sunday’s meeting.
Washington Capitals
Defense and goaltending is obviously a major issue right now for the Caps. Washington didn’t play for a week due to COVID postponements, but they also lost 7-4 to the Flyers last Sunday and 4-2 to the Rangers last Thursday.
That’s 17 goals allowed in the last three games, and it’s no anomaly as Washington ranks dead last in the NHL in allowing 3.8 goals / game. Part of that is due to giving up a ton of shots, 32.4 which is 27th in the league.
The team seems to really miss Braden Holtby, the goaltender who bolted to Vancouver in the offseason. Vitek Vanecek has allowed at least 3 goals in his last 6 outings, including giving up 4 on just 14 shots to the Flyers last week.
The bright side for the Capitals is their offense, which ranks 2nd in the league in netting 3.5 goals/game. That’s a major reason why this game has a betting total of 6.5, and why 5 of the last 6 Capitals games have gone ‘over.’
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh looked great on Sunday in sending 6 pucks to the back of the net. That’s 10 goals in the last two games for the Penguins, who rank just 14th in the league in scoring this season.
RW Bryan Rust has been fueling the offensive outburst, scoring 3 goals and adding 2 assists the last two games. Zach Aston-Reese also has a goal in the last two games, the first two he’s played all season.
Another bright spot for Pittsburgh is that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have both added late goals in the last two games. It was just the second score in the last 9 games for Crosby, but Malkin has two of his three goals on the year in the last three games.
It will likely be Tristan Jarry in net on Tuesday as Case DeSmith has landed on the injury report (illness). Jarry has allowed 11 goals the last three games though, including 3 on 31 shots to Washington on Sunday.
NHL Betting Trends:
- Capitals are 0-4 last 4 overall
- Capitals are 0-4 last 4 road games
- Over is 5-1 in Capitals last 6 overall
- Penguins are 7-0 last 7 as a favorite
- Over is 4-1 in Penguins last 5 overall
- Capitals are 1-5 last 6 in Pittsburgh
- Over is 7-0 last 7 head to head meetings
Free Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Prediction:
This game really comes down to which team is ‘less worse’ in net and on defense. You just can’t trust Vanecek between the pipes right now, so therefore Jarry is the lesser of two evils.
The Penguins are also 5-0 at home on the year, which gives them incredible value at -125. The Capitals are 2-2-2 on the road this season, but have dropped 5 of the last 6 at PPG Paints Arena.
4* Free NHL Betting Pick: Penguins -125
The Penguins are clicking on offense the last two, something that should continue against the worst defense in the league.
If you’re looking for more NHL picks like this Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins matchup we’ll be providing 4* free NHL predictions on the blog during the entire 2021 NHL season, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free NHL Hockey picks!
Register here for a FREE NHL Hockey Betting Account Now for Daily Free Picks & More Special Offers!