Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Prediction, Preview and Odds - 11/08/2024

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Friday, November 8, 2024

Venue:  Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Penguins +136, Capitals -162; Over/Under:  6 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Penguins +135, Capitals -160; Over/Under:  6 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Penguins +135, Capitals -160; Over/Under:  6 goals

Pittsburgh Penguins:  5-7-2 (7th place, Metropolitan Division)

Washington Capitals:  9-3-0 (2nd place, Metropolitan Division)

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Pittsburgh Penguins:  3-5-2 last 10

Washington Capitals:  8-2-0 last 10

The Penguins are entering this game with 12 points, a 5-7-2 record overall, and they are 2-4-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the New York Islanders in their last game, losing that one on the road 4-3 in a shootout, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Carolina Hurricanes still to be played on Thursday night. In their game against the Islanders, Evgeni Malkin, Michael Bunting, and Sidney Crosby each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Rickard Rakell led the team in assists with 2 while Sidney Crosby and Drew O'Connor each led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Alex Nedeljkovic was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 26 shots with 23 saves and a .885 save percentage. Their offense has scored 41 goals this season averaging 2.9 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 54 goals against them allowing 3.9 goals per game.

The Capitals are entering this game with 18 points, a 9-3-0 record overall, and they are 7-1-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Nashville Predators in their last game, winning that one at home 3-2. Alexander Ovechkin, Connor McMichael, and Aliaksei Protas each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Dylan Strome led the team in assists with 2 while Connor McMichael led the team in shots on net in that game with 6. Logan Thompson was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 35 shots with 33 saves and a .943 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 49 goals this season averaging 4.1 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 35 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Capitals listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Capitals have looked great in their games this season with their 9-3-0 record overall which has them right near the top of their division in the East. They have also looked great on home ice with their 7-1-0 home record. Meanwhile, the Penguins have looked terrible in their games this season with their 5-7-2 record overall which has them right near the bottom of their division in the East. They have had a really rough start to the season and have looked terrible in their road games too, going 2-4-2 in those. They are not in a great situation for this game either, playing this game on a back-to-back with a really tough game against the Hurricanes the night before. The Capitals have the home advantage here and they are the rested team, but they have also looked a lot better in their games lately. They have the much stronger offense with the goals they have been scoring this season, and their defense has looked a lot better too. Everything points to the Capitals taking this game on home ice as the Penguins continue to struggle in a bad situation here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Capitals to win this game. 

Penguins Capitals Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Friday, November 8, 2024 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Capitals 4 Penguins 3.

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Pittsburgh Penguins: 83-95 (-39.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 17-43 (-21.7 units) on the moneyline as an underdog. 33-52 (-27.1 units) on the moneyline in a road game where the total is 6 or more. 44-62 (-26.3 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 14-3 UNDER on Friday nights.

Washington Capitals: 48-41 (+9.9 units) on the moneyline after playing a home game. 26-10 (+6.9 units) on the moneyline against terrible teams - outscored by opponents by 0.5+ goals/game. 9-5 UNDER on Friday nights. 17-9 UNDER in November games.

Pittsburgh Penguins:  K. Hayes (C) Day To Day - Upper-body. B. Rust (RW) Out - Lower-body. M. Nieto (LW) Out - Knee.

Washington Capitals:  J. Chychrun (D) Out - Upper Body. N. Backstrom (C) Out For Season - Hip. T. Oshie (RW) Out For Season - Back.

“We’ve got to play better. We should have played the way we played in the first two periods, and we would have been fine. We played a straight-ahead game (in the first two periods). We weren’t as diligent with the puck (in the third period). We didn’t play as much north-south. Give the Islanders credit. We had opportunities to break the game open, give (Ilya) Sorokin credit.” - Mike Sullivan after his team’s loss against the Islanders in their game on Tuesday.

"I thought he was okay in Carolina for the limited amount of minutes that he played and I didn't think it was a fair evaluation of him and for him to be penalized or judged upon on that game, I just didn't think was fair. Part of that is on me, lack of opportunity, I take full responsibility for that, so that's something I can't hold against him. He can only do what he can do when he's out on the ice and I'm the person who puts him out in those situations." - Spencer Carbery on Sonny Milano. 

LW Evgeni Malkin

C Sidney Crosby

RW Rickard Rakell

LD Matt Grzelcyk

RD Kris Letang

G Alex Nedeljkovic

LW Aliaksei Protas

C Dylan Strome

RW Alex Ovechkin

LD Martin Fehervary

RD John Carlson

G Logan Thompson

Points: E. Malkin (16)

Goals: S. Crosby (6)

Assists: E. Malkin (12)

GAA: A. Nedeljkovic (2.76)

Points: D. Strome (19)

Goals: A. Ovechkin (8)

Assists: D. Strome (15)

GAA: C. Lindgren (2.70)

Coaches:

Pittsburgh Penguins: Mike Sullivan (10th season)

Washington Capitals: Spencer Carbery (2nd season)