Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/25
Planning on watching today’s Penguins and Capitals game? Catch the action at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, as the Capitals hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. This Metropolitan division matchup has an over/under of 6 goals, and the Capitals are favored by -1.5 at home vs. the Penguins.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS WASHINGTON CAPITALS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Washington Capitals -1.5
This game will be played at Capital One Arena at 7:00 ET on Saturday, January 18th.
WHY BET THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS:
- Coming in as 1.5 goal favorites, our projections have the Capitals picking up a 4-3 win.
- Take the Capitals on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Penguins (+1.5)
Can Pittsburgh Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?
The Penguins moved closer to .500 with a 3-1 road win over the Canadiens, improving their record to 19-20-8. Pittsburgh entered the game as -1.5 goal favorites and covered the puck line. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark.
Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals, including one in the first period at 4:03. The Canadiens scored in the third period to cut the lead to 2-1, but Blake Lizotte sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:15 in the third.
Sidney Crosby led the Penguins with two goals in their 3-1 win over Montreal. He opened the scoring at 4:03 in the first period and added his fifth goal of the season on a power play at 1:20 in the second. Blake Lizotte netted his second goal of the year on an empty net with 45 seconds left in the game.
Pittsburgh took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways. Lars Eller picked up his third assist on Lizotte’s empty-netter, while Kris Letang earned his third assist of the season on Crosby’s power-play goal. Erik Karlsson added his seventh assist of the year.
On the defensive side, the Penguins will look to carry over their performance from the previous game, where they allowed just one goal to the Canadiens. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves, posting a 96.2% save percentage. Pittsburgh’s defense also contributed 5 takeaways and 19 hits.
Is A Home Victory Likely for Favored Washington?
Following a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals now sit at 30-10-5. Washington took the lead with two goals in the first period, but Carolina responded with four unanswered goals to secure the win.
The total for the game was set at 6 goals, and the combined score matched that number. The Capitals, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. Both of Washington’s goals came in the first period, but they couldn’t find the net again, while the Hurricanes scored their final goal with just 9 seconds left.
Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd in a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes. The Capitals took 21 shots on goal but were held scoreless after the first period.
Washington committed 15 giveaways and scored their second goal just 11 seconds before the end of the first period. Nic Dowd picked up his 2nd assist of the season, and Dylan Strome added his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s power-play goal.
Despite taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, the Capitals’ defense struggled in their last game, allowing three unanswered goals—two in the second period and one more in the third. The final goal was an empty-netter with just 9 seconds left in the third. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but Washington’s defense faced heavy pressure, with 44 shots on goal against them. They also recorded 2 takeaways, 20 hits, and 16 blocks.