The Florida Panthers (6-4-1), fifth in the NHL standings for the Atlantic Division, visit Capital One Arena on Wednesday night to play the Washington Capitals (5-4-1), fifth in the Metropolitan Division. It’s one of just three NHL matchups on the NHL schedule today.
Panthers vs Capitals Picks
Pick the Panthers ML (-140) & the OVER 6.5 (-105).
Sergei Bobrovsky (2.68 GAA, .904 save percentage) is expected to start for the Panthers, while Darcy Kuemper (2.94 GAA, .899 save percentage) is the projected starting goaltender for the Capitals. Let’s take a closer look at some betting trends and the Panthers vs. Capitals odds.
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Odds
The Panthers are betting favorites with NHL odds of -140 on the moneyline and a -1.5 (+180) puck line. The Capitals have moneyline odds of +120 and a +1.5 (-220) puck line. The over/under for the Panthers vs. Capitals odds is 6.5.
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Information
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals
Location of the game: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: TNT
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Betting Preview
Panthers Offense Should Pick Up
The Florida Panthers roster is among the best in the league as proven in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the team shocked the Boston Bruins in the first round and went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. They’ve been playing well to start this season, even with a few notable absences, but are fifth in the competitive Atlantic Division in large part due to their poor luck – the Panthers are T22nd in NHL stats for goals per game (2.82) but rank third in shots (35.4) for a poor shooting percentage of 8, which is fifth-worst in the league.
Matthew Tkachuk has been the most unluckiest of the Panthers forwards early in the season. He has just two goals and a shooting percentage of 3.7, well below his career average of 12.9. He’s a good bet in NHL picks to break out of his slump and score against the Capitals. Sam Reinhart leads the Panthers in NHL player stats with 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists), while Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov are tied for second with 10 points each.
Florida’s defense has taken a bit of a hit early in the season as both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are on the NHL injury report. They both returned to practice a week ago but have yet to play in a game this season.
It’s All About Ovechkin in Washington
When the Washington Capitals score, it is usually Alex Ovechkin burying the puck in the back of the net. That hasn’t been as true this year as in years past but getting Ovechkin the puck will be the goal of the team this season as he chases Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. The Capitals, among the NHL picks today for a down season, should probably go into full rebuild mode this season, but there’s a great allure to seeing Ovechkin break history.
It hasn’t been easy thus far for Ovechkin, however, as he has just two goals in 10 games and one was into an empty net. He has just a 4.7 shooting percentage and the team ranks second-last at 6.4 percent. They’ve actually been an average defensive team, but need much more offense, averaging just 1.9 goals per game, also second-worst in the league.
The Capitals are without Nicklas Backstrom, Max Pacioretty, Joel Edmundson, and Nic Dowd. Evgeny Kuznetsov missed practice on Monday with an illness. His absence would greatly impact Panthers vs. Capitals odds.
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Betting Picks
- Pick 1: Panthers -140
- Pick 2: Over 6.5 (-105)
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