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The Colorado Avalanche look to continue their home winnings streak as they face the Washington Capitals. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Capitals-Avalanche prediction and pick.
The Capitals come into the game at 10-4-1 on the year but have struggled as of late, winning just two of their last five games. Last time out, they faced the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Capitals led the game 2-1 after the end of the first period and would make it 3-1 in the second. The Maple Leafs would tie the game on the power play with just 48 seconds left in the game, and go on to win the game in overtime.
Meanwhile, the Avalanche are 9-8-0 on the year. They have won four of their last five, and last time out they faced the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings took a 2-1 lead in the first period. In the second period, Mikko Rantanen would tie the game, and he would add two goals in the third period to win the game 4-2.
Here are the Capitals-Avalanche NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Capitals-Avalanche Odds
Washington Capitals: +1.5 (-188)
Moneyline: +130
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+152)
Moneyline: -156
Over: 6.5 (-122)
Under: 6.5 (+100)
How To Watch Capitals vs Avalanche
Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Capitals Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Washington Capitals top line is led by Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin was second on the team in points last year, having 31 goals and 34 assists. He also led the team in goals last year. Ovechkin has ten goals and nine assists on the year. Dylan Strome joins him on the top line. Strome led the team in points last year, having 27 goals and 40 assists. He has already five goals and added 18 assists this year. They are joined by Aliaksei Protas. Protas has six goals and nine assists this year.
The Capitals also return John Carlson on the blue line, and Tom Wilson on the second line. Carlson has two goals and nine assists this year. He was third on the team in points last year having ten goals and 42 assists. Wilson was fourth on the team in points last year with 18 goals and 17 assists. Further, he has six goals and six assists this year. Connor McMichael joins Wilson on the second line. McMichael has ten goals and seven assists this year. He had 33 points last year, having 18 goals and 15 assists.
Charlie Lindgren is expected to be in goal for the Washington Capitals. Lindgren is 3-4-0 on the year with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. He stopped 28 of 31 shots in his last start but took the loss. Still, he has been over .900 in save percentage in each of the last two games but lost both games.
Why the Avalanche Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Avalanche is led by Nathan MacKinnon. MacKinnon is first on the team in points this year, sitting with seven goals and 26 assists. He has three goals and ten assists on the power play this year. MacKinnon is joined on the top line by Artturi Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen. Lehkonen has three goals and three assists in his five games this year. Rantanen comes in with 12 goals and 13 assists this year, with four goals and five assists on the power play.
Meanwhile, Cale Makar is second on the team in points from the blue line this year. He comes into the game with six goals and 19 assists this year. Further, he has two goals and ten assists on the power play. Casey Mittelstadt has also been great on the second line. He has six goals and ten assists this year. Finally, Samuel Girard has been solid from the blue line, with a goal and eight assists this year.
Alexandar Georgiev is expected to be in goal for the Avalanche in this one. He is 4-5-0 this year with a 3.56 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage. Last time out, he stopped 13 of 15 shots in a win. It was his third straight win, but twice he has been below .875 in save percentage in those wins.
Final Capitals-Avalanche Prediction & Pick
The Avalanche are the favorite in odds in this early season NHL game. The Capitals have been scoring great this year, scoring 4.13 goals per game this year. They have struggled on the power play, sitting 30th in the NHL in power play conversion, but have been solid on defense. They are fifth on the penalty kill and eighth in goals-against per game. The Avalanche have scored well this year as well. They are scoring 3.47 goals per game this year while sitting third in the NHL on the power play. They have struggled on defense this year, allowing 3.71 goals per game this year. This game will be high-scoring, so take the over in this one.
Final Capitals-Avalanche Prediction & Pick: Over 6.5 (-122)
