Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins Prediction, NHL Odds
We’re set to see a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Division as the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins will meet on Wednesday night in Zdeno Chara’s returns to Boston.
Boston is a -145 favourite to win on the NHL odds with a total of 6.0.
Capitals vs. Bruins Betting Analysis
Washington is one of the only teams in the NHL that has dominated the Bruins over the last few years. The Capitals have won 17 of the last 20 games between these teams, including eight of the last nine games in Boston. Washington is 12-9 against the spread this season, covering in five of nine road games. The Caps have hit the Over 13 times overall, including five times on the road.
The Bruins have been one of the best teams in the NHL again this year and they come into this game with 11 wins in their last 16 games. Boston has only lost once at home this season, but they’re a brutal 5-14 ATS overall. The B’s have hit the Over in nine of 19 games this season.
Washington Capitals
The Caps have been about as hot as you could hope lately, as they come into Wednesday with three straight wins and a 6-1-1 record in their last eight games. Alex Ovechkin’s 713th career goal proved to be the winner in Washington’s 3-2 win over New Jersey on Sunday. It was just Ovechkin’s second goal in his last nine games, but it leaves him only four goals back of Phil Esposito for sixth in NHL history.
Sunday also marked the return of Ilya Samsonov, who made his first NHL appearance in six weeks. Samsonov hasn’t played since Jan. 17, spending three weeks on the COVID-19 list before heading to the AHL’s Hershey Bears for a conditioning stint. He allowed two goals on the first 10 shots he faced, but settled in after that, finishing with 19 saves. In three starts this season, Samsonov is 2-0-1 with a 2.92 goals-against average and .878 save percentage.
Boston Bruins
Despite losing 21 of their last 27 games against Washington, there’s hope the tide is starting to turn for Boston. The Bruins have split the last four games with the Caps, including a three goal comeback in Washington last month. Boston was last in action on Sunday, taking down the New York Rangers by a score of 4-1. Charlie McAvoy finished with a goal and an assist and has taken a big step forward this season. McAvoy is the highest scoring defenceman on the Bruins, putting up 15 points (3G, 12A) in 19 games. Even in a condensed 56-game schedule, he is on pace for a career-high in points.
Boston has been doing things a little differently this season with their goaltending. Rather than Tuukka Rask reigning as the undisputed starter, the Bruins have been using Rask and Jaroslav Halak as a 1A/1B tandem. Rask is 8-3-1 with a 2.71 GAA and .896 SV, while Halak is 4-2-1 with a 2.42 GAA and .903 SV. As starters their numbers are average, but when you have two goalies playing at this level, it creates one of the best tandems in the league.
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