Winter Classic 2011 Odds: Capitals vs Penguins - NHL Picks

New Year’s Day used to be just about college football like the Rose Bowl game but for the fourth consecutive year, the National Hockey League will share the stage with the 2011 Winter Classic, which will be played outdoors at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, home of the NFL Steelers. The Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Washington Capitals in a match-up of two of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Winter Classic odds for 2011 will also have two of the absolute elite players in the game with Alex Ovechkin of Washington and Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh hitting the ice.

Game time is now scheduled for 8:00pm EST after being postponed due to rainy conditions in the Steel City and can hopefully be seen tonight if weather permits live on NBC. Online sportsbooks have opened with Pittsburgh as a -135 favorite in NHL picks with Washington as a +125 underdog. The over/under betting total has been listed at 5.5 OVER (-110) at sportsbooks with the puck line favoring the Penguins -1.5 (+200) in 2011 Winter Classic odds with the Capitals +1.5 (-240). Pittsburgh is the top team in the Atlantic Division with a record of 25-11-3 and an over under mark of 15-22-2 UNDER the total. The Penguins have won 4 of their last 6 games heading into the Winter Classic and are a well balanced team that ranks 5th overall for scoring and 2nd for goals against.

Crosby scored the game winning goal in the first Winter Classic at Buffalo in 2008 and also got the Gold Medal winning goal for Canada in the 2010 Olympics as well as many key goals in Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup run of 2009 so he has a well documented flair for the dramatic and clutch goals. Crosby has 32 goals and 33 assists to lead the Pens. Washington has a record of 22-12-5 in NHL picks and trails Tampa Bay for first place in the Southeast Division. The Caps have won 4 of their last 5 games after a horrible slump in early December. Washington ranks 10th for goals scored and 11th for goals against heading into Winter Classic odds as underdogs despite Ovechkin having 14 goals and 28 assists to lead the Capitals.

2011 Winter Classic Picks: Pittsburgh Penguins -135