Washington vs. Pittsburgh: NHL Match Prediction
The second match between Washington and Pittsburgh this season will take place on January 19 in the US capital. In early November, the penguins unexpectedly beat Alexander Ovechkin team, and they did it quite confidently. Sidney Crosby team had a tough fight the day before and won a beautiful, strong-willed victory over Buffalo. The main hero of the meeting was goalkeeper Alex Nedeljkovic, who scored a goal into the empty net of the Blades. The Capitals got some time to rest after a tough game in Ottawa. Who will win the derby this time? Look for the answer in the game betting tip

Command Analysis

Washington Capitals

Current form
Washington continues to strengthen its position as the leader of the Eastern Conference. The team from the US capital has scored 65 points in 45 games and is in first place in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of New Jersey and Carolina by seven and eight points, respectively. The hosts have a couple of games in hand, so they can create an even more impressive handicap from the Devils and Hurricanes if they continue to win. The Capitals have been alternating victories and losses for a long time, but have now begun to win serially. Spencer Carbery charges won in Tennessee (4:1), were stronger than Anaheim (3:0) on home ice, and in the last match they squeezed out Ottawa, scoring in overtime (1:0, OT).
The capital team periodically has problems with converting chances and in the last three games they have scored only seven goals in regulation time. Alexander Ovechkin slowed down after a strong return to action, scoring a crucial goal against Ottawa in overtime. Dylan Strome remains Washington top scorer with 46 points (12+34).
Charlie Lindgren was injured in the game against Montreal, but he has already recovered and is missing from the infirmary. Logan Thompson became the home team starting goalie. The Canadian was very good in January and allowed only four goals in the last five games. The goalie has stopped 92.42% of shots this season, but has not left the ice without allowing a goal. Hunter Shepard was called up from the AHL, but it is unlikely that this hockey player will appear on the ice, unless force majeure occurs.
Disqualifications and injuries
Sonny Milano, Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie will not take part in the upcoming fight.
Interesting trends for betting
- Washington is averaging just 27 shots per game.
The Capitals don't shoot a lot, but they convert 13 percent of their shots.
- The capital team earns 8.18 minutes of penalty time per match.
The hosts are often sent off, but play well in the minority and cope with many of their opponents' attempts

Pittsburgh Penguins

Current form
Pittsburgh is in 13th place in the conference and should move up. The Penguins have earned 46 points in 47 games and continue to compete for a playoff spot. The club from Pennsylvania may not have an asset to its start of the year, because the visitors could not get out of the basement of the Eastern Conference standings and lost seven of nine games in January. The Pens had a poor series of home games, which ended with losses to Ottawa (0:5), Tampa (2:5) and Seattle (2:4). Last night, Mike Sullivan men showed character and won a confident victory over Buffalo (5:2), losing 0:1 during the game. The main hero of the game was Alex Nedeljkovic, who scored a goal into an empty net.
The Petes have lost some ground in terms of scoring and immediately started losing points. In their last four starts, they have scored only nine times, which was often not enough to win. The visiting captain, Sidney Crosby, is still very good and continues to help his teammates excel. In this regular season, the legend and the best player of the 21st century in the league scored 48 (12+36) points.
The Penguins remain the team that concedes the most goals in the East with a rate of 3.72 goals per game. At the same time, Pittsburgh does not get penalties that often, but regularly fails in defense. In addition, the goalies of the guests look very bad so far. Tristan Jarry was sent to the AHL due to very poor results in this regular season. Now the main goalie of the Penguins will be Alex Nedeljkovic.
Disqualifications and injuries
Jack St. Ivanović will not be coming to the capital.
Interesting trends for betting
- Pittsburgh won only 51.8% of faceoffs
The Penguins are doing well at the point and are winning the puck from their opponents more often.
- The Petes have 28 shots on target per game.
The visitors don't shoot too much and spend more time in the defensive zone.
Trends
Bet 1st period: total over 1.5 goals
In the two previous games between the teams, at least two goals were scored in the first period.
1.70Bet 3rd period: Pittsburgh will score
The Penguins have scored against the Caps in the third period in three of their four games.
1.60Tip and bets
The matches between these teams are never boring. Washington is in excellent shape, but it is hardly possible to write off the visitors. This season, the Petes have already beaten Alexander Ovechkin team in the US capital, showing excellent realization of moments. Recently, the capital has been playing quite reliably in defense, but the visitors have something to break through the defense of the Washingtons. We think that Sidney Crosby squad will be no worse than their opponents and, despite the tight schedule, will not lose by a landslide. We suggest playing a bet on a positive handicap for the second.
Prediction - Pittsburgh win with Asian handicap (+1.5) for 1.70
Bet on individual total
Pittsburgh continues to fight for a playoff spot due to its strong offensive game. The Penguins score 3.02 goals per game and beat even the most reliable goalies in the league. Washington is very good in defense at this stage of the season, but it is unlikely that the hosts will be able to hold off the Pittsburgh in the derby. We believe in at least three accurate shots from the visitors.
We bet on Pittsburgh individual total over 2.5 goals with a coefficient of 2.00
Total Bet
In 2024, the teams played four matches against each other and only one of them was not productive. In all other personal matches, the teams scored at least six goals between them and pleased the stands with active hockey. Now we are waiting for at least six accurate shots between them, because Pittsburgh is very active in the front, but often fails in defense. Let play a bet on the total over goals.
We take the total over 5.5 pucks with a coefficient of 1.70