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It is the only match-up of Wednesday night as the Washington Capitals face the New Jersey Devils. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Capitals-Devils prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Yesterday, as all 32 teams took the ice, the Capitals faced the Maple Leafs. They went down early in the first period, as Morgan Rielly scored on the power play to give the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead. The Leafs would score three more in the second period, as John Tavares, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews all scored. With just 11 seconds left in the second, Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play. It was the first goal of the season for Ovechkin and the 300th power-play goal of his career.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils are now 3-2 on the season after coming away with a win yesterday. The Canadiens scored in the first period on a Justin Barron goal, but the Devils struck back with an Alexander Holtz goal in the first to tie the game. Tyler Toffoli scored his first of the game in the second period, and he would finish with a hat trick in the game. The Devils would end the game winning 5-2.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Capitals-Devils Odds
Washington Capitals: +1.5 (-113)
New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (-105)
Over: 6.5 (-134)
Under: 6.5 (+110)
How to Watch Capitals vs. Devils
Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
TV: TNT
Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Capitals Will Cover The Spread
Ovechkin scored his first goal of the year last night, but it is the only power-play goal of the year for the Capitals and just the sixth goal of the year for the team. So far this year, the top line of Alex Ovechkin, Matthew Phillips, and Dylan Strome have been the most productive. Ovechkin has his goal and two assists this year, while Phillips also has a goal and two assists. Strome is the team leader in goals right now with two of them on the year.
Beyond those three, the other scoring has come from second-line forward Connor McMichael and defenseman John Carlson, who also has three assists on the year. Outside of that group, only Tom Wilson, Sonny Milano, and Evgeny Kuznetsov have points this year. Wilson has two assists, while Milano and Kuznetsov each have one.
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There have been a few issues on offense this year for the Capitals. They have struggled to get shots on goal. Last night was the highest total of the season with 37 shots on goal in the game. They have had fewer than 25 in three of five games this year. They have also struggled on the power play. The Capitals have scored just one time in 16 chances this year.
Further, they have struggled on the penalty kill this year. The Capitals have allowed goals on the power play in every game this year while allowing in seven of 22 chances.
Hunter Shepard will make his first NHL start tonight. He is 2-0-0 this year with a 2.88 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage in two starts with Hershey this season. Last year in the AHL he made 33 appearances with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.
Why The Devils Will Cover The Spread
The Devils have been led by Jack Hughes this year. Hughes has four goals this year with ten assists. He has been great on the power play this year, as he has two goals and seven assists on the power play. Hughes is joined on the top line by Tyler Toffoli. He has scored four times this year with two assists. He also has two power-play goals and an assist. Timo Meier also joins the top line. He has three assists this year.
Dougie Hamilton has also been solid from the blue line for the Devils this year as well. He has three goals and three assists this season, with two of the goals on the power play. The power play has also been huge for Jasper Bratt. He has three goals and six assists this year, with two of the goals and six assists this year on the power play.
On the offensive end of the ice, the Devils have been great at getting shots on goal. They have had 34 or more shots in each of the last four games, and in four of five games overall. The Devils have also been dominant on the power play this year. They have a power-play goal in every game this year. The Devils have scored on 11 of 25 chances on the power play this year.
Still, they need to be better on the defensive end of the ice. They have allowed 30 or more shots in four of five games this year, with the last game giving up 29 shots. Meanwhile, they have given up power-play goals in four of five games as well. Allowing goals in six of 21-man down chances.
Akira Schmid is heading to defend the net in this game. He is 1-0-1 with a 3.30 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage. Both games he has played this year have gone to overtime. In the first game, he stopped 30 of 33 shots but lost in a shootout. Last time out he allowed four goals on 32 shots and won in overtime.
Final Capitals-Devils Prediction & Pick
There are some major issues for the Capitals in this game. First, they give up a lot of goals on the power play and give up plenty of power play chances. The Devils will take advantage of that in this game with one of the best power-play units. Meanwhile, the Devils have a great defensive pairing with Dougie Hamilton and Jonah Seigenthaler. They should limit the Capitals chances in this game. It will not be a shutout, as the Capitals should be able to score on the power play, and Akira Schmid has not been perfect this year. Still, expect the Devils to score more than enough in this game to cover, with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt both adding to their point total in this one.
Final Capitals-Devils Prediction & Pick: Devil -1.5 (-105)
