It’s essentially a pick’em (both -110) on the NHL odds.

Penguins vs. Capitals NHL Betting Odds

The best NHL individual rivalry for about the past 20 years has been Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby against Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, two first-ballot Hall of Famers who have spent their entire careers with the same team and have won MVPs, Stanley Cup titles, Rocket Richard Trophies, you name it. There won’t be many matchups between those two left.

Crosby is still playing at very high level at age 36, while Ovechkin has slowed down a bit this season, understandably, at age 38, but also still a fine player. We have maybe two more seasons against one another if they both stay healthy. Ovi wants to stick around to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record and that probably will take until the 2025-26 season because he is 46 behind the Great One. Hard to see Ovechkin playing after that unless he only needs a few more goals in the 2026-27 campaign.

It’s not mathematically impossible that the Penguins and Capitals meet in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but Pittsburgh is on the outside looking in currently while Washington holds the No. 2 wild-card spot.

Washington is 2-1 vs. Pittsburgh this season. Ovechkin has two goals and an assist in the series and Crosby has three goals and a helper. Overall, the Caps have won six of the past 10 against the Pens and the over-under is 6-3-1.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh has followed a three-game losing streak that put its wild-card hopes in major jeopardy by winning four of five following a 6-3 upset win at New Jersey on Tuesday. The Penguins trailed 3-1 in the third and then went nuts as both Evgeni Malkin and Crosby scored twice in the period – all five goals came in a span of less than 12 game minutes. Crosby and Malkin helped lead a multi-goal, third-period comeback win for the 22nd time in their careers, tied for the second-most of any teammates in NHL history. It was Crosby’s 101st career multi-goal game, passing Alexander Mogilny for 24th all-time. Malkin also had an assist in the third for his 20th career three-point period, joining Mario Lemieux (74), Jaromir Jagr (33) and Crosby (24) as the only players in franchise history with at least 20 career three-point periods.

The Pens have gotten hot solely with Alex Nedeljkovic in net as he has started six straight games and has gotten Pittsburgh at least one point in each with a 4-0-2 mark, 2.53 GAA and .915 save percentage. Tristan Jarry had been the No. 1 but really started struggling and then came down with an illness. Still, he might play here simply as Nedeljkovic could use a night off. Rare to see a goalie start both ends of a back-to-back nowadays, but Nedeljkovic did Monday and Tuesday. The over is 5-1 in Pittsburgh’s past six on the road.

Washington Capitals

Washington is trending the wrong way having followed three straight wins with three straight losses and looked bad Tuesday in a 6-2 defeat at a mediocre Buffalo team. Caps goalie Charlie Lindgren was the team’s No. 2 early on but took the No. 1 job from Darcy Kuemper weeks ago. Lindgren has been a very pleasant surprise, but he has to be gassed having played in 10 straight games. Kuemper did replace him early in the third period Tuesday, and it sure feels like it’s his turn to start with Lindgren having a 3.98 GAA and .879 save percentage in the past seven.

Dylan Strome scored his 26th goal in Tuesday’s loss to tie Ovechkin for the team lead. Strome leads in points with 62 but is also minus-12. Winger Tom Wilson (32 points) completed a six-game suspension Tuesday and will play on Thursday. Fellow forward T.J. Oshie (22 points) missed Tuesday injured and is day-to-day. Washington is 2-5 at home in its past seven vs. Pittsburgh.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Penguins vs. Capitals?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Penguins Team Leaders

PIT

Points	Sidney Crosby 94
+ / -	Marcus Pettersson 28
Shots	Sidney Crosby 278
Penalty Mins	Evgeni Malkin 70
Wins	Tristan Jarry 19
GAA	Tristan Jarry 2.91

WAS

Points	Dylan Strome 67
+ / -	Nicolas Aube-Kubel 4
Shots	Alex Ovechkin 272
Penalty Mins	Tom Wilson 133
Wins	Charlie Lindgren 25
GAA	Charlie Lindgren 2.67

PIT

Points
+ / -
Shots	Did not qualify
Penalty Mins
Wins
GAA

WAS

Points	Martin Fehervary 3
+ / -	Dylan McIlrath 2
Shots	John Carlson 14
Penalty Mins	Tom Wilson 16
Wins	Alexander Alexeyev 0
GAA	Charlie Lindgren 3.58

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Capitals Team Leaders

PIT

Points	Sidney Crosby 94
+ / -	Marcus Pettersson 28
Shots	Sidney Crosby 278
Penalty Mins	Evgeni Malkin 70
Wins	Tristan Jarry 19
GAA	Tristan Jarry 2.91

WAS

Points	Dylan Strome 67
+ / -	Nicolas Aube-Kubel 4
Shots	Alex Ovechkin 272
Penalty Mins	Tom Wilson 133
Wins	Charlie Lindgren 25
GAA	Charlie Lindgren 2.67

PIT

Points
+ / -
Shots	Did not qualify
Penalty Mins
Wins
GAA

WAS

Points	Martin Fehervary 3
+ / -	Dylan McIlrath 2
Shots	John Carlson 14
Penalty Mins	Tom Wilson 16
Wins	Alexander Alexeyev 0
GAA	Charlie Lindgren 3.58

Injuries

Pittsburgh

Emil Bemstrom (RW)

Out Wed Undisclosed - 17 / 04 / 24

Lars Eller (C)

Prob Thurs Illness - 10 / 04 / 24

Ryan Shea (D)

Prob Mon Personal - 08 / 04 / 24

Tristan Jarry (G)

Prob Thurs Illness - 02 / 04 / 24

John Ludvig (D)

Ques Mon Illness - 01 / 04 / 24

Michael Bunting (LW)

Prob Mon Illness - 31 / 03 / 24

Ryan Graves (D)

Late April Concussion - 28 / 03 / 24

Noel Acciari (C)

out for season Lower Body - 24 / 03 / 24

Ryan Graves (D)

Ques Tues Personal - 22 / 03 / 24

Jeff Carter (RW)

Ques Thurs Upper Body - 19 / 03 / 24

Washington

Trevor van Riemsdyk (D)

Ques Wed Upper Body - 26 / 04 / 24

Sonny Milano (LW)

Prob Fri Undisclosed - 25 / 04 / 24

Vincent Iorio (D)

Ques Wed Upper Body - 22 / 04 / 24

Beck Malenstyn (LW)

Ques Tues Upper Body - 15 / 04 / 24

Nick Jensen (D)

Prob Sun Upper Body - 13 / 04 / 24

Rasmus Sandin (D)

Early May Upper Body - 07 / 04 / 24

T.J. Oshie (RW)

Ques Tues Upper Body - 02 / 04 / 24

Rasmus Sandin (D)

Prob Tues Lower Body - 30 / 03 / 24

Ethan Bear (D)

Out indefinitely Personal - 27 / 03 / 24

Sonny Milano (LW)

Ques Sat Upper Body - 24 / 03 / 24

Injuries

Pittsburgh

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Emil Bemstrom (RW)	Out Wed	Undisclosed - 17 / 04 / 24	1-0	0-1	+ -
Bemstrom has an unknown issue, and he will not play against the Islanders on Wednesday.
Lars Eller (C)	Prob Thurs	Illness - 10 / 04 / 24	2-2	2-2	+ -
Eller is ailing from an illness, but he is expected to be active for Thursday's clash versus the Red Wings.
Ryan Shea (D)	Prob Mon	Personal - 08 / 04 / 24	3-2	3-2	+ -
Shea is tending to an immigration issue, but it is likely that he will play against the Maple Leafs on Monday.
Tristan Jarry (G)	Prob Thurs	Illness - 02 / 04 / 24	6-2	5-3	+ -
Jarry missed the previous game with an illness, but it is forecasted that he will face the Capitals on Thursday.
John Ludvig (D)	Ques Mon	Illness - 01 / 04 / 24	6-3	6-3	+ -
Ludvig has sat out the last four contests due to an illness, and it is unknown if he will participate in Monday's matchup with the Maple Leafs.
Michael Bunting (LW)	Prob Mon	Illness - 31 / 03 / 24	6-3	6-3	+ -
Bunting was removed from the last contest due to an illness, but it is expected that he will be active for Monday's matchup with the Rangers.
Ryan Graves (D)	Late April	Concussion - 28 / 03 / 24	7-4	6-5	+ -
Graves has been placed on the injured reserve list while going through concussion protocol, and he is not expected to return until the end of April.
Noel Acciari (C)	out for season	Lower Body - 24 / 03 / 24	8-5	7-6	+ -
Acciari has been shuttled to the long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and he is likely to miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
Ryan Graves (D)	Ques Tues	Personal - 22 / 03 / 24	8-6	8-6	+ -
Graves has missed the previous two games for the birth of his child, and it is unclear if he will be available for Tuesday's matchup with the Hurricanes.
Jeff Carter (RW)	Ques Thurs	Upper Body - 19 / 03 / 24	9-6	9-6	+ -
Carter has been absent from the previous four contests due to an upper-body injury, and it is undetermined if he will suit up Thursday versus the Blue Jackets.

Washington

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Trevor van Riemsdyk (D)	Ques Wed	Upper Body - 26 / 04 / 24	1-1	1-1	+ -
Van Riemsdyk is hampered by an upper-body injury, and it has yet to determined if he will be active in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the Rangers.
Sonny Milano (LW)	Prob Fri	Undisclosed - 25 / 04 / 24	1-1	1-1	+ -
Milano is bothered by an unknown issue, but it is predicted that he will line up for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the Rangers.
Vincent Iorio (D)	Ques Wed	Upper Body - 22 / 04 / 24	1-2	1-2	+ -
Iorio is tending to an upper-body issue, and it is unknown if he will lace up against the Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first round.
Beck Malenstyn (LW)	Ques Tues	Upper Body - 15 / 04 / 24	4-2	1-4-1	+ -
Malenstyn exited the previous contest with an upper-body injury, and it remains to be seen if he will battle the Flyers on Tuesday.
Nick Jensen (D)	Prob Sun	Upper Body - 13 / 04 / 24	4-3	1-4-2	+ -
Jensen has been shut down with an upper-body injury, but he is expected be seen in the lineup of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the Rangers.
Rasmus Sandin (D)	Early May	Upper Body - 07 / 04 / 24	5-5	1-6-3	+ -
Sandin is out of action with an upper-body issue, and he is not expected to return until the early part of May.
T.J. Oshie (RW)	Ques Tues	Upper Body - 02 / 04 / 24	6-7	2-8-3	+ -
Oshie has missed the previous four games due to an upper-body injury, and it has yet to be established if he will suit up Tuesday against the Red Wings.
Rasmus Sandin (D)	Prob Tues	Lower Body - 30 / 03 / 24	6-8	2-8-4	+ -
Sandin was absent from the last contest due to a lower-body injury, but he is expected to battle the Sabres on Tuesday.
Ethan Bear (D)	Out indefinitely	Personal - 27 / 03 / 24	6-9	3-8-4	+ -
Bear has been entered in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Sonny Milano (LW)	Ques Sat	Upper Body - 24 / 03 / 24	8-9	4-9-4	+ -
Milano has been absent from the last two games with an upper-body injury, and it is uncertain if he will participate in Saturday's showdown versus the Bruins.