Temper expectations for offense in Crosby-Ovechkin battle

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We have a whopper of a 12-game slate ahead of us on the eve of the NHL trade deadline.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of spots where I see the most value.

Capitals (+140) @ Penguins (-165)

Scoring goals has been an issue for the Capitals all year - even when at their best.

They rank 30th in goals per game and just traded Anthony Mantha to Vegas. Mantha ranks second on the Capitals in goals and third in points per contest so his absence will suck some life out of an already struggling offense.

For all the Penguins' faults, they're good at keeping the puck out of their net. They rank top 10 in goals allowed per game and have consistently had good goaltending all year.

There isn't much reason to expect the Penguins to score in bulk. They have a top-heavy offense at the best of times and are missing a lot of key personnel.

Jake Guentzel is injured and soon to be traded, Bryan Rust is sidelined with an injury, and Reilly Smith is a healthy scratch candidate with the deadline a day away.

Those absences will take a lot of the juice out of an extremely shallow offense.

These are older, slower-paced sides who struggle on offense. I don't see a recipe for fireworks.

Bet: Under 6.5 (-130)

Oilers (-270) @ Blue Jackets (+220)

The Blue Jackets have been a consistent fade all season, and I'm going right back to the well against the Oilers.

Daniil Tarasov rained on the parade with a quality start last time out, but that's far from the norm for him. He has allowed 10 goals more than expected through just 15 appearances and owns a putrid .891 save percentage.

He deserves credit for holding up against the Golden Knights - who were without multiple key contributors - but I'm skeptical he can do it again versus Edmonton.

The Oilers rank fourth in goals per game this season and have generated more high-danger chances than anybody. They put immense pressure on opposing goaltenders every night, and I don't see Tarasov being up for the challenge.

He has allowed at least three goals in 11 of 15 starts, keeping only mediocre offenses like the Sabres, Ducks, Flames, and Flyers in check.

The Leafs are legitimately the only top-10 offense Tarasov has faced all season. He allowed four goals and posted an .867 save percentage in that matchup.

This is a big step up in class for him playing behind a team that bleeds chances every night.

Look for the Oilers' offense to leave a mark en route to a multi-goal victory.

Bet: Oilers -1.5 (-110)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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