NHL Best Bets: Hurricanes vs. Capitals Game Picks

Two Metropolitan Division rivals face off tonight, with the Carolina Hurricanes paying a visit to the Washington Capitals.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

The Carolina Hurricanes have consistently been one of the NHL’s best teams. The gap separating the Capitals and Hurricanes is large enough to explain why Carolina is a road favorite. The Hurricanes are priced at -170 on the moneyline, while the Capitals are +140. The Caps and Hurricanes are separated by 14 points in the standings, highlighting Carolina’s strength. 

This will be the second of three meetings between the clubs, the first seeing Carolina pickup a 3-2 victory at home. The Hurricanes have been playing well through February, posting an 8-1-1 record over their last ten games, while the Capitals are 5-5.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Hurricanes are expected to start Frederik Andersen, while the Capitals should do the same with Charlie Lindgren. The Hurricanes netminder has an 11-4 record with a .895 save percentage, while Lindgren is 12-7-2 with a .907 save percentage. Although Lindgren has posted better numbers, Andersen is a great regular-season goalie and, with the defensive structure used in Carolina, should have the advantage.

The Capitals are fighting for a playoff spot and will have their hands full hosting Carolina. The Hurricanes give their opponents fits with their playing style, making life hard on the home side tonight. As a result, we’re comfortable siding with the visitors on the moneyline. 

Best Bet: Hurricanes moneyline (-170)

The Hurricanes are consistent with their underlying numbers, which have them as a top-11 team in goals scored and allowed per game. On the other hand, the Capitals are stronger defensively than we’re typically accustomed to, sitting just outside the top ten. Over the Hurricanes’ last five games, they’ve seen six or more goals scored in four, while the Capitals have seen that in just two. As we saw earlier this season, expecting a 3-2 final result again makes a lot of sense.

Best Bet: Under 5.5 (+100) 

One player on Carolina that’s enjoyed a solid bounce-back season is Martin Necas, tallying 47 points in 52 games. That’s a step above what he produced last season as he continues to prove it was a good idea not to give up on him. Necas is listed at +250 to light the lamp tonight, and there’s definite value in backing that number. 

Best Prop: Martin Necas to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+250)