Capitals vs Penguins Prediction, Odds & Props to Bet (Feb. 22)

• Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals Saturday for a 3 p.m. puck drop as the NHL returns after the 4 Nations Faceoff.

• Crosby was Captain for the winning Team Canada squad during the tournament.

• The Capitals are big favorites Saturday and we have your full analysis with a look at the odds and props to bet for Ovi vs. Sid Saturday in Pittsburgh.

It’s back to their day jobs for the stars of the NHL as the regular season resumes Saturday with a Metropolitan Division showdown between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

The hockey world is still buzzing after Team Canada’s overtime 3-2 win over Team USA in the championship of the 4 Nations Faceoff Thursday. Penguins star, 37-year-old Sidney Crosby added to his legacy with a goal and four assists in the event. Washington was one of two teams that did not send a player to the 4 Nations Faceoff.

The hockey spotlight now shifts to Ovechkin who is 16 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record of 894.

Let’s look at Saturday’s game, the best bets for Penguins vs Capitals and some intriguing prop bets.

Capitals vs Penguins Odds

Odds as of Feb. 21 at BetMGM Sportsbook. Be sure to check our Bet MGM review before making a bet on any marquee NHL contest. 

The Capitals are a 1.5-goal favorite at BetMGM with the total at the standard 5.5 goals. The best moneyline bet on the Penguins is also at BetMGM at +140 and the best moneyline bet on the Caps is at Caesars at -161.

Washington is 36-21 against the spread this season, while Pittsburgh is 29-28. The Penguins are also 1-8-1 in their last 10 games against the total.

Capitals vs Penguins Prediction

• Capitals -1.5 (+155) at BetMGM

• Over 5.5 (-120) at BetMGM

Last season Washington finished with 90 points and were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Rangers, scoring a meek seven goals in four games. This season, they’ve been bolstered by goalie Logan Thompson who came over in a trade from Vegas. He’s 24-2-5 with a 2.23 goals against average. The Caps just signed him to a six-year extension.

Ovechkin is also having a renaissance season. He missed five weeks with a broken leg, but has 26 goals and 17 assists. He’s got a shot at breaking the Gretzky record this season but it will be close.

Meanwhile, the Penguins have finally started to show their age. They lost five of their last eight games before the break. They’re six points out of a playoff spot. Evgeni Malkin, now 38, is expected to play Saturday after missing the last couple of weeks before the break with a knee injury. He’s only scored nine goals and is denying that he’s going to retire at the end of the year.

Prop Bet: Aliaksei Protos Over 0.5 points

The 24-year-old center is in the midst of a career year with 46 points in 56 games. He also ranks fifth in the NHL in plus-minus this season at +29.

Protos has had a point in eight of his last 10 games. He should be good for at least one against the Penguins.

Prop Bet: Alexander Ovechkin Over 0.5 points

Hard to believe but Ovechkin and Crosby have been going at it for 20 years in the NHL. Entering the season, Crosby’s teams were 40-25-4 against Ovechkin. Crosby also had 90 points to Ovi’s 67 (but Ovi has more goals).

While Crosby was playing in an intense tournament for the last week, the Capitals and Ovechkin have had a chance to rest and relax. Ovechkin, now with a lot of gray hair, has scored points in six straight games. He is also good at rising to the moment. He’s going to be fired up to play Crosby and steal some of the spotlight back.