National Hockey League: Eastern Conference 2nd Round PIT vs. WSH
Game 1- Series Tied 0-0 Pittsburgh Penguins (48-26-8) at Washington Capitals (56-18-8)
April 28, 2016- 8:00 PM ET (TV NBCSN) Verizon Center, Washington, DC
Our nation’s capital will be the site of NHL 2nd Round action on Thursday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins will square off against the Washington Capitals in a best-of-7 battle that has the following betting lines for Game 1;
Best Penguins Lines: GTBets Spread (+115) Spread +1.5
Best Capitals Lines: GTBets Spread (-135) Spread -1.5
Over/Under: MyBookie 5.0
In a Eastern Conference semifinal that is sure to bring plenty of fireworks, we should be in for a dozy as two of the NHL’s premier superstars will headline this series in Sidney Crosby for the Pens and Alex Ovechkin of the Caps.
It’s been a long time coming for these two to lead their teams against one another as this will mark the first time in seven years and only second time in their careers that they have met in the postseason.
But, this series just isn’t about Crosby and Ovechkin as the Penguins and Capitals are two of the top teams in the East. And that didn’t help without some other key players stepping in as Pittsburgh possess the talent such as fellow Russian star Evgeni Malkin, Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman Kris Letang and American sniper Phil Kessel, who with along with Crosby will be ready to dethrone the best team in the NHL all season long.
And not to be outdone on the Capitals side of the puck, along to help Ovechkin will be center Evgeny Kuznetsov, Swedish sensation Nicklas Backstrom and Vezina Trophy finalist goaltender Braden Holtby.
Loaded with offensive talent on both sides, the Caps took home the President’s Trophy for most points on the season, while the Pens were the NHL’s-best team after the coaching change with Mike Sullivan replacing Mike Johnston.
Pittsburgh eliminated the New York Rangers as Crosby scored eight points in the first round, while the Caps took down the Philadelphia Flyers as Ovechkin totaled three goals and two assists.
Prediction/Pick
Fasten your seatbelts as the action is expected to be intense, fast and filled with plenty of highlight reel material and leading into Game 1, GTBets is favoring WSH (-135) over PIT with an over/under of 5.0 total game goals scored.
While, I am leaning on the Caps to take home the opening-series victory; for betting purposes, I will favor the OVER of 5.0 total game goals scored as my pick for Game 1.
The post Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals – Prediction, Pick – 4/28/16 appeared first on Betting Picks, Sportsbook & Casino Reviews.