Washington vs Pittsburgh NHL Playoffs Game 4 Odds Preview

There are some who will say that winning the President’s Trophy in the NHL is something of a curse. As nice as it is to end the regular season with the best overall record, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have success in the playoffs. Only 8 teams have won the President’s Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season, and it is the Washington Capitals who will be looking to become the 9th team to achieve that feat. It’s beginning to look as though they are going to have their work cut out for them, as they are in tough against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that has suddenly emerged as the favorite to win it all. The Penguins have a 2-1 lead in the series, and can put some real pressure on the Capitals by winning Game 4 on home ice. You hate to say that one game can decide the fate of a series, but this may very well be the case with this one. You can wager on this crucial NHL playoff game right here at  our MyBookie.ag NHL betting lines page.

How To Bet The Capitals vs Penguins NHL Playoffs Odds, TV & Game Info

When: Wednesday, May 4 at 8 PM ESTWhere: Consol Energy Center, PittsburghTV: NBCSNNHL Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Washington Capitals

Being 2-1 down in the series is challenging enough, but now the Capitals are going to have to play the next two games without defenseman Brooks Orpik, who was suspended for a rather nasty hit on Olli Maatta in Game 2 of the series. This has been a very physical series so far, and that is not a style that the Capitals really like to play. The advantage for the Capitals is that they will get PP opportunities if this style continues, although they are only 1 for 10 in this series, which is well down from their almost 22% efficiency rate in the regular season. Game 4 will show us just what the Capitals are made of, as they really need to get the win in order to steal back home ice advantage.

Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins

We all expected the Pittsburgh Penguins to be able to score goals in the postseason, but it has to be said that their defensive play has been a pleasant surprise, too. The Pens gave up just 10 goals in their 5 games versus the Rangers in the opening round, and have steadied the defensive ship after giving up 4 in a 4-3 Game 1 loss in this series. They have held the Caps to just 3 goals in the 2 games since that loss, and haven’t had to unleash the big guns offensively to get the wins. The Penguins know that they will have one skate in the Eastern Conference Final with a win in Game 4, so expect them to come out with guns blazing on Wednesday night.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The Capitals were going to have to rely heavily on their defense to get through this series, and losing a key component in Brooks Orpik for 3 games hurts. This series could well be over before he is available to return.Washington Capitals 2 Pittsburgh Penguins 3