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The Detroit Red Wings will head to our Nation's Capitol to face the Washington Capitals. It will be a possible playoff preview as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Red Wings-Capitals prediction and pick.
The Red Wings and Capitals have 59 wins apiece against one another, with 16 ties. Also, the Caps have gone 5-4-1 over their past 10 games against the Wings. But the Red Wings are 3-2 over their past five games at Capital One Arena. Earlier this season, the Wings defeated the Caps 4-2 at Little Caesars Arena.
Here are the Red Wings-Capitals NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Red Wings-Capitals Odds
Detroit Red Wings: +1.5 (-134)
Moneyline: +188
Washington Capitals: -1.5 (+110)
Moneyline: -230
Over: 5.5 (-138)
Under: 5.5 (+112)
How To Watch Red Wings vs Capitals
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, MNMT and FDSD
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Why the Red Wings Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Red Wings still might make moves at the trade deadline as they attempt to stay in the playoff race. For now, they will abide by what they have and would love to replicate what they did last time.
The Red Wings struck fast and hard in that game, getting a puck into the net three minutes in when Alex DeBrincat found some room. Three minutes later, Patrick Kane connected on a powerplay goal to make it 2-0. But the Wings were not out of the woods yet, as they allowed Alexander Ovechkin to score to cut the deficit to 2-1. Detroit answered right back when DeBrincat added a goal to make it 3-1. Then, Lucas Raymond found the back of the net to make it 4-1.
The Red Wings fired 27 shots on goal, won 53 percent of the faceoffs, and went 1 for 4 on the powerplay to help their cause. Ultimately, the Wings will need to replicate those stats to have a chance on the road.
Alex Lyon was good in this game, stopping 25 shots and allowing just two goals. Furthermore, the Red Wings stopped both Capitals' powerplay chances, nullifying any threats, including Ovechkin's one-timer. The Wings also leveled 12 hits and blocked 18 shots.
The Red Wings will cover the spread if they can spring to life and score early, getting production from DeBrincat, Raymond, and Dylan Larkin. Then, they must defend the crease and not give the Capitals too many chances.
Why the Capitals Could Cover the Spread/Win
Ovechkin is just 10 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. While the Great 8 is still an incredible sniper and remains great even at his age, the Capitals still might want more help. The rumor is that the Capitals might want another forward to try and improve their chances of winning the Stanley Cup.
In terms of this game, the Capitals must do better than they did last time. Unfortunately, they allowed too many chances early in the game, and the momentum went to Detroit. They fell into a hole they could not climb out of.
Getting scoring production from your best players is significant. Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, and Aliaksei Protas all failed to get on the scoreboard. The Capitals finished with 27 shots on goal while winning just 47 percent of the faceoffs. Also, they whiffed on their chances on the powerplay.
Charlie Lindgreen struggled in this game, allowing four goals and making 23 saves. There is a chance the Caps might roll with Logan Thompson in this game. Regardless, the defense must play better in front of them after blocking just nine shots last time. The 24 hits were a nice touch and could serve well as long as Washington avoids unnecessary penalties.
The Capitals will cover the spread if they can get more scoring from their top two lines while also setting up Ovechkin with nice chances as he continues to chase Gretzky's record. Then, they must defend the crease and avoid the slow start that plagued them last time.
Final Red Wings-Capitals Prediction & Pick
The Red Wings are 37-24 against the spread, while the Capitals are 36-26 against the odds. Moreover, the Wings are 17-10 against the spread on the road, while the Caps are 17-15 against the spread at home. The Red Wings are 29-30-2 against the over/under, while the Capitals are 27-30-5 against the over/under.
The Red Wings have played competitive hockey all season and have played well on the road. I think they have enough to cover. But they will also be on the tail end of a back-to-back, which will hurt them. Therefore, I will roll with the Capitals to cover the spread at home, overtaking the Red Wings.
Final Red Wings-Capitals Prediction & Pick: Capitals -1.5 (+110)
