Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals Prediction, NHL Odds
The Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals are set for a Wednesday night battle at Capital One Arena. The Senators have crept into the playoff picture with 77 points on the season, but they still have plenty of work to do if they want to keep moving up the standings. On the other side, the Capitals are further outside of the playoff picture with 74 points on the season.
These teams have met twice so far this season, with the Senators finding the win column in both matchups. Ottawa defeated Washington 7-1 on October 25 and 4-3 on January 1. Ottawa has now won three of the last four meetings in this series, as well as two of the last three meetings in the nation’s capital.
Senators vs. Capitals NHL Betting Odds
The Senators own a 34-23-9 record on the season, while the Capitals are 33-27-8. With both teams close in the standings, it’s not surprising to see oddsmakers expecting a close game. Ottawa enters as -130 favourites on the NHL odds while Washington is at +110.
When it comes to the puckline, both teams have had their ups and downs. Ottawa is 31-35 against the spread, while Washington is 34-34. In this matchup, Ottawa -1.5 is valued at +195, while Washington +1.5 is available at -238. The game total is set at 6.5, with the over holding odds of +110 and the under listed at -130. On the season, the Senators are 37-29-0 to the over, while the Capitals are 30-36-2.
Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk (+175) has the shortest odds to score a goal in this contest. Tkachuk has 18 goals in 46 games this season and has three goals in his last five games. With odds of +205, Alexander Ovechkin has the shortest odds of any Capital to find the back of the net in this matchup. Ovechkin is tied with Tom Wilson for the team lead in goals this season with 24.
Ottawa Senators
The Senators enter this matchup coming off back-to-back wins over the Sharks and Ducks, and have won five of their last six games. They’ve been strong on the road this season, owning a record 18-12-4 away from Ottawa.
Tim Stutzle continues to be one of the most underrated players in the NHL. He is up to 70 points in 66 games this season, and his game continues to be at a high level on a nightly basis. Coming down the stretch of the regular season, he is on pace to push for his career high in points, which he set back in 2022-23 with 90.
The Senators tend to play in high-scoring games. They can score a lot of goals, but they also give up a lot of goals. Ottawa ranks ninth in the NHL, scoring 3.36 goals per game, but they are also allowing 3.11 goals per game.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals have fallen on tough times after the Olympic break. Since February 28, the Capitals have just two wins in their last seven games.
The Capitals have strong scoring depth, and have four different players who have reached the 50-point mark this season. Ovechkin and Jakob Chychrun are tied with the team lead with 51 points apiece, while Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome aren’t far behind with 50 points of their own.
The power play continues to be a cause for concern for Washington, as its man-advantage ranks 29th in the NHL with a power play conversion rate of 16.3 per cent. If the Caps want to pull off a minor upset in this matchup, they’ll need to take advantage of their power play chances.
NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Senators vs. Capitals?
Both of these teams can play a physical style of hockey, but the edge in this one goes to the visitors. Ottawa’s sense of urgency should be extremely high, and they have been solid on the road all season long. The Capitals have underperformed relative to expectations this season, and it seems that they may be caught in no-man’s land at this point in the season. I expect the Senators to win this matchup 5-3.
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