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The playoff-contention Washington Capitals will put their first-half season success on the line as they travel to the Mile High City to take on the defending champs in the Colorado Avalanche. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Capitals-Avalanche prediction and pick will be made.
Although the Capitals are only 2-4 in their last six games, Washington has been able to remain steady this year with a 25-18-6 record that has proven to be good enough for them to sit on top of the Wild Card race. Certainly, the ‘Caps would love to rebound in a big way after falling flat on their faces to Vegas when they were blown out 6-2 on Saturday.
Things were definitely looking gloomy for the Avalanche only a short couple of weeks ago, but since then, Colorado has shown off their championship mindset by reeling off five-straight wins. Even though the injury bug continues to rear its ugly head for this club, it seems that the Avs are figuring out ways to navigate through the storms despite being shorthanded.
Here are the Capitals-Avalanche NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Capitals-Avalanche Odds
Washington Capitals: +1.5 (-235)
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+186)
Over: 6 (+100)
Under: 6 (-122)
How To Watch Capitals vs. Avalanche
TV: ESPN+/Hulu
Stream: ESPN+/Hulu
Time: 9:00 ET/6:00 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Capitals Could Cover The Spread
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At first glance, Washington averages roughly under 3.20 goals per game which currently ranks within the middle-of-the-pack of other NHL squads. In fact, the perfect way to describe this offensive unit is that they are often times streaky, but when they are on, they are extremely tough to slow down. Unfortunately, the ‘Caps may be missing some key bodies out on the ice as forward T.J. Oshie recently traveled back to Washington D.C. for the birth of his child while Alex Ovechkin continues to be listed as day-to-day with a lower-body ailment and will be a true game-time decision.
Nevertheless, the Capitals should have an advantage on paper in their ability to kill off penalties. With an extremely effective 81.6% in eliminating the opposition's extra-0man advantages, Washington should have what it takes in going up against a Colorado power-play attack that can take over a game in the blink of an eye.
Most importantly, this is Darcy Keumper's time to shine. In fact, this could serve as the perfect opportunity to prove to the Avs what they're missing out with a dominating performance in net from last year's Stanley Cup net-minder. At the moment, Keumper has posted top-ten statistics across the board and can help cover the spread with another gritty outing.
Why The Avalanche Could Cover The Spread
Just when the Avalanche were about to hit rock-bottom, Colorado quickly reversed their losing trend and have looked like the team that was expected to compete for another cup prior to the regular season kicking off. Not only are the Avs in the midst of an impressive winning stretch, but they also are displaying that they can come out of games triumphant with a strong effort as the visiting team.
Switching gears to being at home the final three games until All-Star weekend, this high-flying Avalanche squad known for scoring goals as actually been suffocating on the defensive end of the ice. In fact, Colorado has only given up three goals over the course of the past few games and are putting their bodies on the line with every shot on goal that they face. Of course, the biggest reason for this uptick in defensive efficiency has been because of the combined effort in the goaltending department.
After goalie Pavel Francouz was able to silent the Kraken's sticks with only one goal allowed, it has been the improvement of starter Alexandar Georgiev that has benefitted this team the most. While Georgiev's struggled were becoming evident, the former New York Rangers net-minder finally has some confidence under his wings after back-t0-back stars with only one goals surrendered.
Most importantly, Colorado often times excels at when given a power-play opportunity, so be on the lookout for the Avalanche to inflict some damage if the Capitals cannot stay out of the penalty box.
Final Capitals-Avalanche Prediction & Pick
On a possible memorable night for Colorado head coach Jared Bender who could become the winningest coach in Avalanche history win a victory, expect the Avs to come out with their hair on fire and to treat the home crowd with a spread-covering victory.
Final Capitals-Avalanche Prediction & Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+186)
