Washington Capitals vs. Edmonton Oilers Betting Guide: Oil Host Caps on Second Night of Back-to-Back

Washington Capitals vs. Edmonton Oilers Moneyline, Total, and Odds

Moneyline: Capitals +105|Oilers -128

Spread: Capitals +1.5 (-222)|Oilers -1.5 (+180)

Total: 6.5 Over -105|Under -115

All NHL betting lines and odds are provided by BetMGM.

Washington Capitals vs. Edmonton Oilers News, Analysis, and Picks

There is no rest for the Washington Capitals as they head north to face-off against the Edmonton Oilers on the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday. Washington comes into tonight’s battle on a three-game winning streak; however, their success isn’t backed up with supporting metrics. The Oilers have tightened up their defensive zone coverage and can use that to their advantage against a tired Caps squad.

The Capitals have been outplayed in four straight matchups, getting outplayed on both ends of the ice. Over that four-game sample, the Caps have established a 41.9% expected goals-for rating, failing to surpass eight high-danger chances at five-on-five in all four and attempting more than 18 scoring chances just once. Defense has been optional for the Caps in their own zone as they’ve given up 11 or more quality chances in three of four outings, getting out-chanced in all but one of those games. Skating on the second consecutive night with travel will likely only compound those issues.

Opponents have been unable to get anything going in the Oilers’ end recently, attempting eight or fewer high-danger chances in nine of their past 12 outings. Edmonton’s been effective at generating offense over that span, getting out-chanced four times in the 12-game sample. That’s contributed to expected goals-for percentages above 50.0% in nine of 12 games. Still, the Oilers’ solid efforts aren’t translating to on-ice success, as they’ve gone 6-5-1 since February 14. Improved defensive play should help shore up the Oilers goaltending concerns, leading to more wins.

This is a friendly betting spot for the Oilers, as they host a Capitals team heading towards regression and skating on the worse-end of a back-to-back. Washington has struggled in this scenario, winning just one of their past five games and going 1-4-1. Edmonton is favored, but the line should continue to move in their direction ahead of puck drop. We’re backing the home team in this inter-conference matchup.

The Picks: Oilers -128

All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.