Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals Prediction, NHL Odds
Things got chippy in their most recent meeting, just over a week ago, with both teams combining for over 140 penalty minutes. There will be scores to settle tonight, so expect fireworks when they clash again on Thursday.
The Hurricanes are the -120 favourite to win Thursday night on the NHL odds. The game total is sitting at an even six goals. Puck drop from the Capital One Arena in D.C is set for 7:30 PM ET.
Hurricanes vs. Capitals NHL Betting Odds
This will be the fourth and final meeting between two of the best teams in the league. Carolina leads the series 2-1, and the home team has won every game to this point. The Canes put a 5-1 beating on the Caps in their most recent game, but have not won a game since. They have not hit the OVER in any of their meetings this year, and the winner has covered the spread every time.
Carolina’s three-game skid has dropped their record against the spread to 36-41 on the year. They have been struggling offensively coming into this matchup, scoring just four goals over their past three games. This typically sound defensive squad has given up five goals twice over their losing streak and has been beaten by three teams below the playoff line.
After making bettors tons of money against the spread earlier in the season, the Caps have not had the same luck lately, covering just once in their past six games in which they have won only twice. They are still 44-33 ATS on the year, which would rank them second in their division. They have hit the OVER in four of their past six games, bumping that line to 35-36-6.
Carolina Hurricanes
Thursday will wrap up a four-game road trip for Carolina, which has been a complete disaster so far. They took a loss in Detroit, traveled to play Boston to play the following day, and lost again. A few days off and they hit the ice in Buffalo on Tuesday and took their worst loss yet.
The Hurricanes outshot Buffalo 33-18, but took a 3-0 loss to the bottom-feeding Sabres. They could not beat the Sabres’ goalie, while their goalie, Pyotr Kochetkov, stopped only 15 of 18, losing the fourth of his past five starts.
Carolina has struggled on the road all season, and the past three losses have dropped their record to 16-19-3. This is the third time this season the Canes have dropped three in a row, and a loss in Washington would be a season-high losing skid.
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin made history in the team’s last outing, netting his 895th career goal. He was the lone goal scorer in the Caps’ 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders. The team is likely relieved that the legend set the record, as their game has been slipping as a result of feeding the Russian Machine on a nightly basis. Washington had only one two of their past seven games, as Ovi’s goal chase made headlines every night.
The Caps have had four days off to get back on track as they head into the final five games of the season. They currently sit three points behind Winnipeg for the best record in the NHL, and a strong finish could see them capture the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time since 2017. They are sitting at +280 for the award on our NHL Futures Board.
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