Subscribe
Follow Us
Alex Ovechkin plays his first home game since returning from injury as the Boston Bruins visit the Washington Capitals. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Bruins-Capitals prediction and pick.
The Bruins come into the game sitting at 20-14-4 on the year, which is good for third in the Atlantic Division. In their last game, they faced the Columbus Blue Jackets. Justin Brazeau got the scoring started in the first period. The Bruins would score two more in the second, and one more in the third. Jeremy Swayman would stop all 18 shots he faced in a 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets.
Meanwhile, the Capitals are 24-10-2 on the year, which is good for second in the Metropolitan Division. They have now played two games since the return of Alex Ovechkin. First, it was a 5-2 victory over the Maple Leafs as Ovechkin scored in his first game back. Last time out, they faced the Detroit Red Wings. The Capitals would go down 2-0 early before Ovechkin scored. Still, they would be down 4-1 in the first period, and fall 4-2 in the game.
Here are the Bruins-Capitals NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Bruins-Capitals Odds
Boston Bruins: +1.5 (-215)
Moneyline: +115
Washington Capitals: -1.5 (+172)
Moneyline: -146
Over: 6.5 (+116)
Under: 6.5 (-142)
How To Watch Bruins vs Capitals
Time: 12:30 PM ET/ 9:30 AM PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Bruins Could Cover the Spread/Win
David Pastrnak leads the team in points and assists this year while playing from the top line. He has 13 goals and 24 assists, good for 37 points. He is joined on the top line by Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie. Zacha has nine goals and nine assists on the year, while Geekie has eight goals and eight assists this year.
Meanwhile, it is Brad Marchand who is second on the team in points and leads the team in goals. Currently playing on the second line, he has 15 goals and 16 assists on the year. He is joined by Elias Lindholm, who has six goals and 13 assists on the year, third on the team in points. The Bruins also get production from Trent Frederic, who could be on the move. He has five goals and six assists this year.
Jeremy Swayman is expected to be in goal for the Bruins in this one. He is 13-10-3 with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage. Swayman has won four of his last five games overall. He has three games in the last five giving up one or fewer goals, while he stopped all 18 shots he faced last time out.
Why the Capitals Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Capitals leading scorer is currently on the top line. Dylan Strome comes into the game with 11 goals and 28 assists on the year. Eleven of those assists are on the power play, plus two of the goals. He is joined on the top line by Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin comes into the game with 17 goals and 10 assists this year, with four goals and three assists on the power play this year. The line is rounded out by Aliaksei Protas. Protas comes in with 14 goals and 16 assists this year, second on the team in points.
Meanwhile, Connor McMichael has been solid from the second line. He has 16 goals and 14 assists on the year, with three goals and four assists on the power play. He is joined on the line by Tom Wilson. Wilson comes into the game with 14 goals and 11 assists this year, while having seven goals and two assists on the power play.
Logan Thompson is expected to be in goal for this one, and he has been playing well. Overall, he is 14-2-2 this year with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. All three marks are top ten in the NHL. Further, he has won four of his last five starts, and given up two or fewer goals in four of his last five games.
Final Bruins-Capitals Prediction & Pick
The odds in this NHL game suggest a tight game. The Bruins are scoring just 2.66 goals per game this year and are 30th in the NHL on the power play. They are also 14th in the NHL in goals against per game. Meanwhile, the Capitals come into the game scoring 3.67 goals per game this year, while sitting 15th in the NHL on the power play. They are also fifth in the NHL in goals against per game. The Capitals did lose to the Bruins the last time they faced, but that was on the road. The Capitals have the better offense in this one and will get the win in this game.
Final Bruins-Capitals Prediction & Pick: Capitals ML (-146)
