The Hurricanes and Capitals are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Capitals will host the game at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The Hurricanes come into this Metropolitan division matchup as the favorite to pick up the win. Currently, the over/under for the game is at 6 goals.

CAROLINA HURRICANES VS WASHINGTON CAPITALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Capitals +1.5

This game will be played at Capital One Arena at 7:00 ET on Friday, January 5th.

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS:

  • In spite of being 1.5 goal underdogs, we anticipate the Capitals winning this one 4-3.
  • We like the Capitals on the moneyline (+142)
  • The Capitals are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Can the Hurricanes Deliver Being Favored on the Road?

The Hurricanes come in with an overall record of 21-13-4. On the road, Carolina has a 11-10-1 record, whereas they are 10-3-3 at home. Their current record places them 2nd in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 4th in the Eastern conference.

In terms of the puck line, Carolina are 14-24. When playing on the road against the puck line, they are 7-15, while their overall home performance is 7-9. This season, Carolina’s games are averaging 6.5 goals per game. Their average over/under line is 6.2. The Hurricanes currently have an over/under record of 19-18-1.

Carolina has played well in their previous three road games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 1. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.

On the offensive side, the Hurricanes are scoring an 3.4 goals per game this season, ranking 6th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 2nd in the league. So far this year, the Hurricanes are 17-10 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 4-1 in games with fewer shots on goal.

The leading scorer for Carolina’s offense is Sebastian Aho. Coming into the game he has 15 goals, ranking 35th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 28 assists so far.

Defensively, the Capitals come into the season ranked 19th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 30.9 shots per game against Washington. For the season, they are ranked 20th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.

Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov gets the start and has made 19 starts this season. His record at this point is 10-7, and his save percentage is 0.6764705882352942%.

Can Washington Pull Off a Home Win?

This season, the Capitals have put together an overall record of 18-12-6. When playing on the road, Washington has gone 9-7-2, while their home record stands at 9-5-4. At the moment, they hold the 6th spot in the Eastern Metropolitan division and are ranked 10th in the Eastern conference.

In terms of the puck line, Washington are 15-21. When playing on the road against the puck line, they are 8-10, while their overall home performance is 7-11. This season, Washington’s games are averaging 5.4 goals per game. Their average over/under line is 6.1. The Capitals currently have an over/under record of 13-22-1.

Across the Capitals last three home games, the team averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 4. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Capitals are averaging 2.4 goals per game this season, putting them in the 31st spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 29th in the league. The Washington offense is ranked 30th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 29th in the NHL.

Washington’s current leading scorer is Dylan Strome. This season, he has 13 goals, which puts him 61st in the NHL. Strome also comes into the game with 9 assists.

In terms of defense, the Capitals head into the game ranked 19th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.9 shots per game against Washington. So far, they are 20th in shutouts, achieving 2 shutouts.

Goalie Darcy Kuemper gets the start and has made 18 starts this season. His record at this point is 9-8, and his save percentage is 0.7156862745098039%.