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The Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1-0) and Washington Capitals (1-1-0) will meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The game will broadcast live on TNT.
The Capitals are favored at -163 on the moneyline, with the Penguins +138 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 6.5 (-112o / -108u).
Let's get into our Penguins vs. Capitals predictions and NHL picks.
Penguins vs. Capitals Prediction
- Pick: Ben Kindel 1+ Points
Our Pittsburgh vs. Washington best bet is a prop pick on Penguins forward Ben Kindel, with the best odds currently available at bet365. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
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Penguins vs Capitals Odds
- Penguins vs. Capitals puck line: Capitals -1.5 (+149 ), Penguins +1.5 (-178)
- Penguins vs. Capitals over/under: 6.5 (-112o / -108u)
- Penguins vs. Capitals moneyline: Penguins +138, Capitals -163
- Penguins vs. Capitals best bet: Ben Kindel 1+ Points
Penguins vs. Capitals Preview
Wednesday is the start of a long goodbye in D.C. Alex Ovechkin announced earlier this week that 2026-27 will be his final NHL season, and tonight is his first game at home since.
Sidney Crosby vs. Ovechkin has been one of the defining matchups of this era, and with three more Caps–Pens meetings on the schedule, every one of these games is going to draw attention.
My angle here is Ben Kindel, though — he missed the opener with a lower-body injury, but he's been excellent since returning, with two goals and an assist in two games. Monday's loss to Winnipeg was sloppy for Pittsburgh, but Kindel was one of the few bright spots, scoring a goal and setting up Declan Carlile's game-tying goal in the third.
His situation could improve tonight, too. Bryan Rust practiced fully on Tuesday and may make his season debut. At practice, he skated on the third line with Kindel and Ville Koivunen. Rust is coming off a career-high 65 points, so having him back alongside Kindel would be a nice boost.
Either way, Kindel has been on the top power-play unit, and he could get some more chances there tonight. It's a small sample, but Washington ranks second in the league in penalty minutes per 60 so far this season.
With all of that working in his favor, I like Kindel to find the scoresheet again.
Best Bet: Ben Kindel 1+ Points (+150 — bet365)
