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The Winnipeg Jets will battle the Washington Capitals on Saturday at the Verizon Center. It will be a battle in D.C. as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Jets-Capitals prediction and pick.
The Capitals are 21-12 over their past 33 games against the Jets. Amazingly, the Caps have beaten the Jets 11 times in a row at home and are 7-4 against the spread in those games.
Here are the Jets-Capitals NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Jets-Capitals Odds
Winnipeg Jets: +1.5 (-290)
Moneyline: -105
Washington Capitals: -1.5 (+225)
Moneyline: -114
Over: 5.5 (+102)
Under: 5.5 (-124)
How To Watch Jets vs Capitals
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN+ and Monumental Sports Network
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Jets Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Jets remain near the top of the NHL standings and continue to have a great season. Unsurprisingly, they ended January on a heater, winning four games in a row, including a 6-2 drubbing of the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden. Their win over the Bruins was a great example of how dangerous they were when firing on all cylinders. Ultimately, it started with them taking a 2-0 lead. Then, when they allowed the Bruins to rally in the third period, they regained their composure and scored four unanswered goals. The Jets have a lot of weapons, and all are exceptional.
Kyle Connor has been the sniper on this team, with 30 goals and 36 assists. Likewise, Mark Scheifele has tallied 31 goals and 28 assists. Gabriel Vilardi has tallied 22 goals and 27 assists. Meanwhile, Nikolaj Ehlers has been solid, with 15 goals and 30 assists. Defenseman Josh Morrissey has added five goals and 38 assists.
The Jets are first in goals and assists. Additionally, they are second in shooting percentage. The Jets are the best at converting their shooting chances, ranking first in the league.
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Connor Hellebuyck will start and is having another great season with a record of 32-7-2 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .927. He will play behind a defense that is fourth in the NHL in goals against and 16th on the penalty kill.
The Jets will cover the spread if their offense continues to hum and puts a lot of pressure on the defense. Then, they must continue to block the angles and not allow the Caps to shoot the puck.
Why the Capitals Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Capitals fell 5-4 in overtime in their last game on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. While the loss was disappointing, it could have been worse as they trailed 3-1 going into the third period. When the Capitals cut the deficit to 3-2, they suffered another setback when they allowed another goal. Eventually, their greatest player ever put them one goal closer before contributing on a goal to tie it before the Capitals forced overtime.
Alexander Ovechkin continues his historic chase of Wayne Gretzky. Remarkably, he is just 19 goals away from beating “The Great One” for first in goals. Ovechkin tallied another goal on Thursday but will now attempt to solve Hellebuyck and one of the best defenses in the NHL.
His teammates have not been bad, either. Significantly, Dylan Strome has 15 goals and 34 assists. Aliaskei Protas has had a great season with 21 goals and 22 assists. Meanwhile, Pierre-Luc Dubois has netted 11 goals and 30 assists. Connor McMichael has also added 18 goals and 28 assists. These four will look to continue the scoring while also helping Ovechkin get closer to history.
The Capitals continue to be amazing at scoring, ranking second in goals. Furthermore, they are fourth in assists. The Caps are the best team in the NHL in shooting. Also, they are 10th on the powerplay.
Logan Thompson will likely start in this game and is 23-2-3 with a 2.05 goals-against average and a save percentage of .901. He will play behind a defense that is the best in the NHL in goals against and third on the penalty kill.
The Capitals will cover the spread if they can start hot and avoid melting down on defense. Then, they need Thompson to continue his historic season and shut down the Jets.
Final Jets-Capitals Prediction & Pick
The Jets are 28-25 against the spread, while the Capitals are 33-18 against the spread. Moreover, the Jets are 12-13 against the spread on the road, while the Capitals are 15-9 against the spread at home. The Jets are 24-26-3 against the over/under, while the Capitals are 19-27-5 against the over/under.
These teams have explosive offenses. But they also have the greatest defenses in the NHL. I think that will be the difference as the scoring comes to a halt and the Jets and Capitals struggle to score. I am rolling with the under to win.
Final Jets-Capitals Prediction & Pick: Under: 5.5 (-124)
