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A fun and intriguing inter-conference showdown will be on tap for this Tuesday as the Minnesota Wild head to the nation's capital to battle it out with the Washington Capitals. It is time to take an exclusive look at our NHL odds series where our Wild-Capitals prediction and pick will ultimately be revealed.
The Wild come into this one after impressive back-to-back wins over the Coyotes and Islanders in which it was the Minnesota defense that put the clamps on their foes. With an extremely healthy 24-14-4 overall record at this stage of the season, there is no doubt that the Wild are ready to embark on a postseason run.
Similarly to the Wild, it is the Capitals who enter tonight's play sitting in a very familiar position. Through the team's opening 46 games of the campaign, Washington has been able to come out victorious in 24 of those contests and currently sits in fourth place of the Metropolitan Division Standings with 54 points total. Fresh off of a gritty 4-3 overtime victory over the Islanders, this squad certainly means business.
Here are the Wild-Capitals NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Wild-Capitals Odds
Minnesota Wild: -1.5 (+198)
Washington Capitals: +1.5 (-250)
Over: 6 (-110)
Under: 6 (-110)
How To Watch Wild vs. Capitals
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Wild Could Cover The Spread
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In order for the Wild to cover the spread in this one, an increased effort on the offensive end of the ice will need to be in store. More specifically, Minnesota can leave their fingerprints all over this matchup if they can find a way to get better looks with their shots on goal. While peppering the opposing goalie with shots on goal hasn't been the issue for the Wild, Minnesota has still only scored five goals in their last 12o minutes of action on the ice and will need to create better passes in the crease if they are going to receive better scoring opportunities versus a sturdy Capitals defense.
Not to mention, the Wild will need another stellar outing from their goaltending. The last time out, it was the savvy vet in Marc-Andre Fleury who stopped 28 of the 29 shots faced against the Coyotes in the victory. Clearly, it appears that Father Time hasn't quite caught up with Fleury yet, but expect to see Filip Gustavsson in net if Minnesota continues down the path of alternating between goalies each game out. On paper, the Wild have only given up 2.76 goals per game, so this is one of the club's strongest aspects when out on the ice.
Most importantly, be on the lookout for Minnesota's top skater in Kirill Kaprizov's ability to blow the top of the defense. With three points in his last pair of games played, Kaprizov is a scoring machine that is also prone in setting up his teammates with crisp passes that lead to assists.
Why The Capitals Could Cover The Spread
Trailing the Islanders 3-0 entering the final period of the game on Monday, Washington did the unthinkable by storming back in impressive fashion to force overtime and eventually put New York away with a game-winning goal scored by Dmitry Orlov to send the ‘Caps home with a tremendous victory. For starters, there is no doubt that the Capitals would love to avoid digging themselves a ginormous hole like the one they were in against New York.
Outside of the fact that Washington needs to get off to a better start this evening versus Minnesota, the Capitals need to figure out how to stymie the Wild and their terrific defensive assault. However, the Capitals certainly have enough firepower to turn this into an afterthought. In fact, Washington boasts just as lethal of a defensive attack that will surely make Minnesota's head throb win the Capitals continue to hit as they have been. In addition, not only does Washington make you pay with the puck in your possession, but they have also shown that they can cover the spread when counted on with a 24-22 record ATS so far this year.
However, the difference in covering the spread and not in this one will turn out to be extremely slim as the ‘Caps must dig deep in the later stages of this one after just playing an intense game last night. While fatigue may begin to creep in for the Capitals at some point in this contest, keep your eyes peeled on Washington to keep Minnesota off the scoreboard on the power play. At first glance, the ‘Caps have killed off 80% of opponents' power plays this season and have usually excelled when shorthanded.
Final Wild-Capitals Prediction & Pick
With the six-most home wins in the NHL with 13 total, put your faith in Washington D.C.'s team to come away with a covering of the spread.
Final Wild-Capitals Prediction & Pick: Capitals +1.5 (-250)
