It’s been a rollercoaster ride early on for the Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers, with these two clubs set to collide tonight from FLA Live Arena.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Washington Capitals (+164) vs. Florida Panthers (-200) Total: 6.5 (O-106, U-115)Not only have these teams gotten off to similar starts to the regular season, but they also met last year in the playoffs, which saw the Panthers get the better of the Capitals. There’s been plenty of changes to Florida’s roster since then, though, and the jury is still out on whether or not those changes will pay off in the long run. On the other side of the coin, the Capitals are trying to milk more out of the aging core but have posted a less-than-stellar 7-8-2 record to this point.
Despite some of the offensive firepower these respective teams have up front, and on the back end, there hasn’t been a ton of offense coming from these teams. Knowing that, you can certainly make the case that this is one of the main reasons these teams haven’t been able to separate themselves from the pack in the standings because they’ve both performed about on par with how you’d expect them to in net and on defense.
The projected goalie matchup tonight should see the visiting Capitals start Darcy Kuemper, while the Panthers have already confirmed that Sergei Bobrovsky will be between the pipes. The Caps netminder has posted a 5-7-1 record, paired with a .911 save percentage, while the veteran Florida goalie is 3-4-1 with a .897 save percentage. There’s undoubtedly more confidence in what the Capitals goalie is bringing to the table, but the same can’t be said about Washington’s team as a whole.
With not a lot of certainty on either side right now, but the Panthers listed as sizable favorites on the moneyline, there’s some value present in looking towards the veteran Capitals on the moneyline at +164.
Best Bet: Capitals moneyline (+164)
If we’re looking at the total for tonight, the line is currently set at 6.5, with the over sitting at -106 and the under just below that at -115. Over the last ten Capitals games, eight of those have ultimately seen six or fewer goals scored. The team has continued to get some competent goaltending and has been playing stoutly defensively, meaning if we’re looking at their value to win this game outright, we should also expect them to do it in the fashion they’re most comfortable in, which is of the low scoring variety. With that in mind, there’s some clear value tonight in looking towards the under 6.5 in this matchup at-115.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-115)
It hasn’t necessarily been an elite start to his tenure with the Florida Panthers regarding Matthew Tkachuk and his overall impact. Still, you’re starting to see what he can bring to the table on any given night. He’s recorded five goals and twelve assists through thirteen games, and although those numbers are substantial, you’re expecting more from him in the goal-scoring department after tallying 42 last season. Let’s make one thing clear, though, we’re not critiquing him. He needs to get back to playing around the net and making goalies’ lives much more difficult. In saying that, this is an excellent matchup for him to find the scoresheet, which currently has him listed at a very nice price of +152 to score.
Best Prop: Matthew Tkachuk to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+152)
