Two teams currently on losing streaks, the Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers clash at the BB&T Center in an Eastern Conference showdown. The match gets going at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 25, and it can be caught live on NBC Sports Washington.
Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers Odds
Washington is 28-20 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 3.8 units this year. Through 48 regular season matches, 26 of its games have gone over the total, while 22 have gone under and none have pushed. This 2017-18 Capitals team is 10-12 SU on the road.
Washington has converted on 19.5 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. Its penalty kill is ranked 19th in the league, and it has successfully killed off 79.8 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, Washington has been sent to the penalty box 4.2 times per game overall during the 2017-18 season, and 3.6 per game over its last five on the road. The team’s had to kill penalties just 7.8 minutes per game over their last five road outings.
With a .916 save percentage and 28.3 saves per game, Braden Holtby (24-11-2) has been the top option in goal for Washington this season. If it chooses to give him a rest, however, the team could roll with Philipp Grubauer (4-12-3 record, .917 save percentage, 2.56 goals against average).
Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov will both lead the way for the visiting Capitals. Ovechkin has 51 points on 29 goals and 22 assists, and has recorded two or more points in 13 different games. Kuznetsov has 13 goals and 30 assists to his creditand has logged at least one point in 28 games.
Florida is 19-27 straight up (SU) and has lost 8.2 units for moneyline bettors this year. 25 of its games have gone over the total, while 21 have gone under and none have pushed. It’s 11-10 SU at home this season.
Florida has converted on just 16.4 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that places it in the bottom 10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 19th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 80.0 percent of all penalties.
Florida players have been whistled for penalties 4.5 times per game in total this season, and 3.0 per game over their last five home outings. The team’s had to kill penalties a whopping 16.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
James Reimer has stopped 27.7 shots per game as the top option in goal for Florida. Reimer has 13 wins, 19 losses, and five overtime losses to his credit and has maintained a .911 save percentage and 3.04 goals against average this season.
Jonathan Huberdeau (16 goals, 30 assists) will lead the offensive attack for the Panthers.
Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Panthers, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Trends
The total has gone over in each of Florida’s last five outings.
Washington has managed 25.6 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Florida is averaging 33.4 shots per game over its last five at home.
Power plays and penalty kills could prove to be even more critical than usual tonight. The Capitals are 9-4 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 15-9 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Panthers are 5-13 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 8-16 when total penalty minutes are in the single digits.
Washington is 3-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Florida is 2-3 in shootouts.
Florida is ranked 8th in the league this season with 8.4 takeaways per game. That figure’s trended lower, however, as the team has averaged 6.7 takeaways over its last 10 games and 6.0 takeaways over its last five.
Washington has scored 3.0 goals per game this year, but has been averaging 2.0 goals per contest over its three-game losing skid.
Washington is ranked 16th in the league this season with 7.3 takeaways per game. That figure has trended higher recently, as the team has averaged 8.3 takeaways over its last 10 games and 7.8 takeaways over its last five.
Washington could hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 13-8 in games decided by one goal, while Florida is 10-13 in such games.
