The Washington Capitals will put their mini two-game winning streak on the line as they travel to where everything is bigger in the Lone Star State as they take on the Dallas Stars. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Capitals-Stars prediction and pick will be revealed!

Winners in three of their last four games, the Capitals enter play with an undermanned roster but have still found ways to get other playmakers involved in productive ways. In fact, the ‘Caps have been scoring in bunches as they have mustered up four goals in a single period for the third time in four games after dismantling the New Jersey Devils 6-3 on Monday night. After going 44-26-12 which ended up being good enough for the eighth-best mark out east, can Washington transform from a first-round exit squad to being a contender in 2022-2023?

Storming out of the gates to near perfect 4-0-1 start, the Stars have ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard over the course of their last couple of games and now are seeking to snap a two-game losing skid. Despite the recent shortcomings, Dallas is a playoff-worthy squad that feeds off of their home crowd's energy and has yet to go down in defeat at American Airlines Center. With a knack for home dominance, do the Stars have what it takes to send the Capitals home packing?

Here are the Capitals-Stars NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Odds: Capitals-Stars Odds

Washington Capitals: +1.5 (-240)

Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+190)

Over: 6 (+102)

Under: 6 (-124)

Why The Capitals Could Cover The Spread

At first glance, the Capitals should have a pretty decent chance of covering the spread in Dallas, especially since the line currently stands at +1.5 in their favor. However, the one main cause for concern has to be the Capitals' road woes within the first seven games of the season. Although it's plenty early still, Washington has been a far better team at home like many teams in the NHL and needs to figure out a way to take the hostile Stars' crowd out of it early.

With that being said, expect Washington's game plan to consist of striking while the iron is hot early and often. If the same Capitals squad shows up for play like the one in New Jersey that jumped out to a 4-1 lead by the end of the second period, then the ‘Caps should not have a problem with falling behind in the opening stages.

In addition to Washington scoring goals at a frenzy, the Capitals have quietly been an efficient group on defense and in net. After coming to terms with 2021-2022 Stanley Cup Champion goaltender Darcy Kuemper who showed glimpses of dominance in Colorado during their championship run, Keumper has become quite familiar with the Stars throughout his career. In 17 games against Dallas, Keumper is 9-5-3 with a 2.78 goals-against-average and also possesses a .915 save percentage when going up against the Stars. If Keumper can stand on his head in this one, Washington should be able to keep it close and cover the spread.

Why The Stars Could Cover The Spread

With an abundant amount of speed, toughness, and a high IQ when out on the ice, this Stars team has the pieces to inflict some damage upon opposing teams all year long. Thus far, Dallas is still trying to work on remaining consistent, but they have certainly passed the eye test. In the Stars' two straight losses to some formidable foes, the offense has slightly stalled and the defensive effort has not been consistent enough to win.

However, as a whole, Dallas has posted a minuscule 2.14 goals against as goalie Jake Oettinger has continued to look the part after a historic postseason effort a season ago. With Oettinger in net, the Stars are capable of shutting down any opposing team's offense. If Dallas is going to cover the spread, then this will be the case. Even with Washington coming to town and possibly proving to be a big test in keeping them off the scoreboard, the Stars should have the advantage with Oettinger starting.

Offensively, the Stars are averaging a shade north of three goals per game at 3.29 officially and have numerous playmakers that can get the job done on Thursday night. With only two goals in their previous six goals combined, there is no question that Dallas is due for a breakout performance. Be on the lookout for the savvy vet himself in center Joe Pavelski to continue his strong start to the season with his four goals and three assists for a total of seven points.

Final Capitals-Stars Prediction & Pick

This entertaining bout has the makings to go either way, but the fact that the Stars will be asked to win by more than two goals against a decently solid Capitals bunch will prove to be a tough task. Hammer the ‘Caps to cover the spread and to raise some eyebrows in Dallas.

Final Capitals-Stars Prediction & Pick: Capitals +1.5 (-240)