The Washington Capitals will head into Pennsylvania today to take on one of their long-time rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins in this Saturday matinee matchup. The Penguins come into this game on a three-game losing streak, including two losses to the Avalanche and a shut-out loss to the Rangers in a chippy game on Thursday. The Capitals head into Pittsburgh after defeating the Lightning on Wednesday, trying to keep their playoff hopes alive. Who's going to come out on top here today in this bitter rivalry? It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Capitals-Penguins prediction and pick.

Here are the Capitals-Penguins NHL Odds, Courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Odds: Capitals-Penguins Odds

Washington Capitals: +1.5 (-192) (+122 ML)

Pittsburgh Penguins: -1.5 (+160) (-146 ML)

Over: 6.5 (-110)

Under: 6.5 (-110)

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Why The Capitals Can Cover The Spread/Win

The Washington Capitals haven't been playing very well recently, slowly falling down the standings, and while they're still 11 points ahead of the Islanders for the last Wild Card spot, I wouldn't doubt if the Capitals are getting nervous that they'll choke the lead away. If the Islanders keep winning nonstop as they have been recently, and the Capitals continue to have poor defense, they could find themselves out of the playoffs quicker than they expected. Until they clinched a playoff position, every single game for the Capitals is a must-win scenario until the rest of the season.

With that said, yes, the Capitals produce a lot of offense, but their defense has been more concerned with trying to help the offense than they are actually playing defense. In net for the Capitals today will be Ilya Samsonov, who is repping a .899 save percentage and allowing 2.95 goals against per game. He'll look to keep the Capitals in this matchup against the Penguins.

Why The Penguins Can Cover The Spread/Win

The Pittsburgh Penguins have run into a wall during these last few games, going 2-5-1 in their last eight games. They've slid down to third place in the Metropolitan Division and just can't seem to find their mojo. The Penguins' offense is deep and very capable of scoring, but the most recent losses have come to teams who have excellent defenses. Luckily for them, this is a perfect game for the Penguins to flip their momentum in the right direction. In net for the Penguins today will be star goaltender Tristan Jarry, who has been excellent all year long. He's sporting a .920 save percentage while allowing 2.38 goals against per game. He'll look to shut the door on the Capitals' heavy offense.

Final Capitals-Penguins Prediction & Pick

The Penguins are in the midst of a losing streak, but their talent is still top-notch. The thing about the Capitals for me is that I think the eastern conference is very competitive, but only between seven-ish teams this year; the Capitals are not one of them. If the Capitals can stay in the playoff race, I wouldn't be surprised if they get swept in the first round. They have the offensive talent, but they're just not clicking the way we're used to seeing them. With that said, I think the Penguins get back on track and defend home ice with a win here tonight. For better odds, I'm going to take the classic 3Way Moneyline bet in favor of the Penguins today.

Final Capitals-Penguins Prediction and Pick: Penguins 3Way Moneyline (+100)