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A premier inter-conference battle will be at front and center of the hockey universe as the Washington Capitals travel to the Music City to take on the Nashville Predators. With that being said, it is time to check out our NHL odds series where our Capitals-Predators prediction and pick will be revealed.
Coming off a frustrating 2-0 shutout loss to the Dallas Stars, the Capitals are hopeful they can use some of that irritation to put on a clinic against the Predators. With an even 4-4 record eight games into the season, Washington is trending in the right direction under head coach Peter Laviolette with victories in four of their previous six contests.
As for Nashville, the Preds will seek a spread-covering victory this evening to try and jump-start their sluggish start to the 2022-2023 campaign. The last time we saw Nashville out on the ice, they snapped an ugly five-game losing skid with a solid 6-2 triumph over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. With the much-needed boost in confidence, the Predators would not be opposed in reeling off some victories to put in the win column starting tonight.
Here are the Capitals-Predators NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Capitals-Predators Odds
Washington Capitals: +1.5 (-230)
Nashville Predators: -1.5 (+180)
Over: 6 (-118)
Under: 6 (-104)
Why The Capitals Could Cover The Spread
After leaving Dallas with a bad taste in their mouths which resulted in getting blanked on the scoreboard for the first time since January, the ‘Caps march on with their current road trip in Nashville as tonight's entertaining bout will serve as the third of four games away from home for Washington.
On paper, the defense and goaltending did their part in keeping the Stars at bay throughout the majority of the game, but the Capitals just could not figure out a way to sneak a couple of pucks past the human wall himself in Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger who ended up stopping all 27 of Washington's shots on goal. While some would consider it an off night for the ‘Caps, Washington needs to remain consistent offensively. Despite the lack of stability at times whenever gaining possession of the puck, they indeed mustered up four goals per game in their last five contests. Alas, consider the off-night against the Stars just a slight hiccup for a squad that has been playing well.
The biggest difference-maker in this one will fall on the ‘Caps ability to start off hot and not fall behind early. In fact, Washington has found themselves down 1-0 six times in eight games. Evidently, maintaining a first-period lead in a hostile environment like “Smashville” would do wonders in keeping the pressure on the Predators and staying in an attacking mindset for a full 60 minutes of play.
So far, the Capitals have compiled an average record against the spread with a 4-4 mark.
Why The Predators Could Cover The Spread
Ever since Nashville met up with the Sharks overseas in Prague and flashed signs of brilliance, they have been hit with a case of jet lag as they have only been able to win once since. Fortunately, that lone victory came as recently as Thursday as the lengthy losing streak that weighed this team down for more than a week was finally lifted off their shoulders. Now, Nashville can breathe.
With a losing streak in the rearview mirror, the Predators will have a chance to buckle down and give Washington their best. For years, Nashville has been a tough place to play for visiting squads, as the electric Predators fanbase no doubt plays a role in helping their club win games. Outside of these rabid fanatics that sure love their Predators, Nashville will also need a boost from their top two skaters in Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene to cover the spread.
Against the Blues, the dynamic duo both tallied three assists to their names. If Forsberg and Duchene can continue to keep Washington on their toes in the Capitals zone and make smart decisions to put their teammates in position to score, then be on the lookout for another scoring flurry to occur in Nashville.
At first glance, the Predators have been awful in covering the spread this season with a 2-6 record, but do not fear Nashville fans. A season ago, the Predators were a decent squad in covering and keeping games close. Plus, Nashville showed how resilient they can be after falling behind early by a score of 2-1 to the Blues before reeling off five straight goals. Simply put, don't ever count this team out of it no matter how bleak it may look.
Final Capitals-Predators Prediction & Pick
These two franchises don't face off too often but rest assured that there will be plenty of highlight reel-worthy plays that occur at Bridgestone Arena. With both sides coming off wins, the Capitals have been the more consistent team thus far. Asking Nashville to win by at least two goals is definitely a tough ask.
Final Capitals-Predators Prediction & Pick: Capitals +1.5 (-230)
