The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals will renew their Metro rivalry tonight in Pennsylvania as the Pens come in as the betting favorite and look to shed a three-game losing streak.
Can the Caps steal two points as +145 underdogs in what is the third meeting of the season? Can the Penguins start another multi-game win streak and pull away from Washington in the divisional standings? Find out in our free NHL betting picks and predictions for Capitals vs. Penguins.
Capitals vs Penguins odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Penguins opened as -155 home favorites and have moved slightly to -165. The total opened at 5.5 but has since hit 6 across the board. These two clubs have split a pair of meetings in Washington with Pittsburgh closing as +130 road dogs back in December with a closing total of 5.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Capitals vs Penguins predictions
Predictions made on 2/01/2022 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Capitals vs Penguins game info
• Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
• Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2022
• Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ATTSN-PT, NBCSWA
Capitals vs Penguins betting preview
Key injuries
Capitals: Nick Jensen D (Out), T.J. Oshie F (Out).
Penguins: Jason Zucker F (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Capitals vs Penguins head-to-head record (since 2020)
Capitals: 5-8 SU, 45 goals for.
Penguins: 8-5 SU, 48 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Penguins are 1-5 SU in their last six instances of them playing a fourth game in six days. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Penguins.
Capitals vs Penguins picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Moneyline analysis
The Penguins are riding a three-game losing streak into tonight’s big divisional matchup but played competitively in each game losing by exactly one goal in all three. The schedule has been a little heavy as this will be Pittsburgh’s fourth game in six nights and will be the final game of a six-game home stretch. Despite the recent one-goal losses, this is a team that has ripped off a six-game and another 10-game winning streak since the beginning of December. But the -165 price on the moneyline is a little long in this spot.
The Washinton offense has struggled without T.J. Oshie in the lineup averaging just 2.50 goals per game without him since January 15, but it found the back of the net five times versus a solid Dallas team last Friday. The Caps come into this matchup with a much more favorable schedule than the Penguins, who will be playing their eighth game in 13 nights.
The Capitals have also fared well in Pittsburgh over the last couple of seasons as Washington is 8-3 SU in the last 11 meetings in Pennsylvania.
Goalie Vitek Vanecek is also in great form and is probable to start tonight. He is coming off a 29-save shutout versus the Stars and has allowed just three goals over his last three starts. Vanecek has seen the Pens seven times over his two-year career and has lost in regulation just once.
Tristan Jarry was red-hot for the Pens but he's been his average self of late and has allowed at least three goals in five of his last seven starts. There is a case to say that Jarry was playing above expectations last month and he's possibly regressing to the mean.
The Capitals are a Top-5 road team on the year with a 12-5-4 mark and their 2.52 GAA on the road is the third-best mark in hockey.
Yes, the Pens are back to full strength and are one of our favorites to do well in the playoffs, but this comes down to price for us. With two teams boasting similar records, Pittsburgh at -165 seems a little long considering it was +130 on the road in the last meeting. We aren’t expecting the Caps to roll over the Pens here, but we’re happy to hit +145 in what should be a competitive game.
Prediction: Capitals ML (+145)
Over/Under analysis
This is a tough total to gauge. It opened at 5.5 and quickly hit 6 by Tuesday morning. The last meeting closed at 5.5 but both contests have produced at least six goals. Vanecek is coming off a big shutout and has a decent record against Pittsburgh but he also owns a 2.98 GAA over seven meetings. Meanwhile, Jarry was in the conversation for the Vezina earlier in the season but he’s hit a bit of a rough patch of late.
To compound these difficult decisions, the Capitals offense is coming off its biggest output in 13 games and had struggled mightily before the 5-0 win over Dallas. The Penguins have managed just four non-empty net goals over the two meetings this season and with Pittsburgh looking to snap a three-game skid, we feel this could be a tight battle between two teams who know each other well.
The Washington power play has been one of the weakest units in hockey this season and sits 28th in success rate. It scored twice versus the Stars, but it has struggled to score with the man advantage this season. It will be even more difficult tonight as it faces the Penguins' league-best penalty kill. Washington has also killed its last 10 penalties and has yet to concede a PP goal to the Pens this season.
Both teams rank similarly in most 5-on-5 metrics and sit in the Top-15 in expected goals allowed at even strength. Neither team has significant advantages at 5-on-5. With the Caps hitting the Under in four straight — and this game meaning a lot to the Caps, who are four points back in the standings — we’re doubting this one gets out of hand. We’re jumping on the market’s initial reaction, which was a lower-scoring game on the whole.
Prediction: Under 6 (-115)
Best bet
Betting against a Pittsburgh lineup that has returned to full strength and is rolling three great lines comes with some concerns, but Washington can match up well.
Washington closed at +115 in Dallas last game and now faces a ML price of +145, which seems 15 points too high considering they closed at -140 in the last meeting with the Penguins. Pittsburgh is rightly favored but it should be closer to Capitals +120 or +125, especially with the Penguins' schedule. This should be a competitive game between two teams that have seen plenty of each other over the last three seasons and we can’t pass up the price on the visitors who are coming off arguable their best game of the season.
Pick: Capitals ML (+145)
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