Capitals vs. Hurricanes NHL Odds, Prediction and Picks: Defending Champs Favoured at Home
The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes are set for a Friday night matchup at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC.
This will be the first game of the season for Washington, while Carolina has already played one game that resulted in a 1-0 overtime loss to Florida on Tuesday night.
Capitals vs. Hurricanes NHL Betting Odds
Money Line: Capitals (+124), Hurricanes (-148)
Puck Line: Capitals +1.5 (-198), Hurricanes -1.5 (+164)
Run Total: Over 6.5 (+105)/ Under 6.5 (-125)
Last season, the Capitals posted a 43-30-9 record, while the Hurricanes went 53-22-7. The Hurricanes are fresh off a Stanley Cup winning season, while the Capitals just missed out on the playoffs despite finishing with 95 points.
Playing at home, the Hurricanes enter this contest as slight favourites. Carolina has moneyline odds of -148, while Washington has odds of +124 to pull off the road upset.
On the puck line, Hurricanes -1.5 is valued at +164, while Washington +1.5 is -198. The game total is set at 6.5, with plus-money odds of +105 to the Over and juiced odds of -125 on the Under.
At +205, Carolina’s Sebastian Aho has the shortest odds of any player to score a goal in this game. Aho scored 27 goals in 79 games last season, which was his lowest mark since the 2020-21 season.
With odds of +240, Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin has the shortest odds of any Capital to score a goal in this contest. Ovechkin leads the NHL in all-time goals with 929, which includes an NHL-leading 331 on the power play.
Washington Capitals
At age 41, Alexander Ovechkin is back once again for the Capitals this season. The NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer potted 32 goals last season and figures to play a key role in Washington’s top-six and first power play unit.
Ovechkin is part of a well-rounded Capitals forward group that now features Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou. Tuch scored 33 goals and dished out 33 assists last season in Buffalo, while Kyrou is coming off a down year in which he had just 18 goals and 46 points in St. Louis.
With other solid contributors such as Tom Wilson, Pierre Luc-Dubois, Dylan Strome, and Ryan Leonard, the Washington forward group is pretty crowded. It will be interesting to see how their chemistry is in this season-opening contest against the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes dropped their first game of the season to the Panthers by a score of 1-0 in overtime. Florida’s Gustav Forsling netted the game-winning goal with just four seconds to go in the extra frame.
Carolina goaltender Brandon Bussi stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced in the opener, but was unable to find the win column. Bussi played a major role in Carolina’s Stanley Cup run, and he begins the 2026-27 season as Carolina’s No. 1 netminder.
The Hurricanes are starting the season without Seth Jarvis, who will be sidelined at least a few more weeks with a shoulder injury. Jarvis has emerged as one of the NHL’s most consistent goal-scorers, so his absence is a big one.
NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Capitals vs. Hurricanes?
The Capitals have plenty of talent to go around, but the forward group is very crowded. It may take some time for all pieces to gel, especially with a shortened preseason. The Hurricanes will be hungry to get right after being shutout in front of their home fans on Tuesday, and Rod Brind’Amour should have his team ready to roll. Back Carolina at home
Best Bet: Carolina Hurricanes
Score prediction: Capitals 2-5 Hurricanes
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