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The Washington Capitals will travel to Long Island to battle with the New York Islanders. It will be an Eastern Conference clash as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Capitals-Islanders prediction and pick.
The Capitals lead the head-to-head series 125-98, with an additional 20 games going into overtime. Moreover, the Caps have gone 5-4-1 in the past 10 games against the Islanders. The Capitals defeated the Islanders 5-4 at the Capital One Arena earlier this season. Likewise, they have won the last two games at the UBS Arena, blowing the Islanders out 5-1 and 4-1.
Here are the Capitals-Islanders NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Capitals-Islanders Odds
Washington Capitals: -1.5 (+158)
Moneyline: -152
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-196)
Moneyline: +126
Over: 5.5 (-134)
Under: 5.5 (+110)
How To Watch Capitals vs Islanders
Time: 12:30 PM ET/9:30 AM PT
TV: TNT, truTV
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Capitals Will Cover the Spread/Win
The Capitals are the top team in the Eastern Conference and are gearing up to be the number one seed in the playoffs. However, everyone is focused on a major record chase. Alexander Ovechkin tied the record for the most goals in the NHL ever by scoring two against the Chicago Blackhawks. Amazingly, he fired a one-timer from the left slot, his most famous spot, and put one past goalie Spencer Knight for goal number 894. In addition to tying the record for most goals in history, Ovechkin has now grabbed the record for most game-winning goals in NHL history. What's interesting about all this is that he had a chance to break the record on Thursday night. However, Ovechkin did not want to score on an empty net and would rather face a goalie.
The Capitals will focus on winning this game while getting Ovechkin a chance to score against goalie Ilya Sorokin. Ultimately, that might be slightly easier against a team just 29th on the penalty kill. The goal is clear now: draw a penalty and go on the powerplay. The Capitals will set up Ovechkin on the left side and allow him to deliver a one-timer.
Ovechkin is not the only sniper on the team, which is precisely the reason why he has been doing so well this season. Significantly, Dylan Strome has done well, tallying 25 goals and 50 assists this season. Aliaksei Protas has 30 goals and 36 assists but suffered a lower-body injury and may not play in this game. Meanwhile, Pierre-Luc Dubois is having a career season, tallying 19 goals and 44 assists.
The defense must continue to step up. While the Isanders struggle to score, they still have some weapons who can do some damage. Therefore, the defense and goaltending must continue to play tight defense and not allow Bo Horvat and Anders Lee to convert their chances. Logan Thompson will likely start and is 31-6-6 with a 2.49 goals-against average and a save percentage of .910.
The Capitals will cover the spread if the offense can set up some scoring chances for Ovechkin to become the all-time goal scorer. Then, their defense must prevent any shooting lanes for the Islanders.
Why the Islanders Will Cover the Spread/Win
The Islanders are still technically in the playoff race. However, the odds are not looking good because they are five points behind with seven games left to play. But the Islanders still have a game to play and will look to avoid being the unwitting participants of NHL history.
Horvat and Lee are their top scorers. Somehow, the Islanders must find ways to get these two their chances. Defenseman Noah Dobson leads the team in assists with 28 and will look to distribute the puck to one of them. Likewise, Kyle Palmieri will also be a threat to fire a puck from the blue line.
Sorokin has not had a great season. Yet, he stopped 27 shots of 28 opportunities in a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Sorokin is 28-23-6 with a 2.76 goals-against average and a save percentage of .905 as he attempts to keep his team's fledging playoff hopes alive.
The Islanders will cover the spread if they can get some scoring and build an early lead. Then, they must prevent Ovechkin from converting his famous one-timer and not let the Caps do much of anything else.
Final Capitals-Islanders Prediction & Pick
The Capitals are 44-32 against the spread, while the Islanders are 36-39 against the spread. Also, the Caps are 22-15 against the spread on the road, while the Isles are 18-19 against the spread at home. The Capitals are 36-35-5 against the over/under, while the Islanders are 39-34-2 against the over/under.
The Capitals will likely win this game and cover the spread. While I don't think Ovechkin will break the record here, his teammates will do enough to help seal this win.
Final Capitals-Islanders Prediction & Pick: Capitals -1.5 (+158)
