The Washington Capitals (15-9-4), fifth in the NHL standings for the Metropolitan Division, host the New York Islanders (15-8-8), third in the Metropolitan, in one of just three NHL games on the NHL schedule Wednesday night. The Capitals beat the Islanders 4-1 on November 11. Washington has been off since Sunday, while the Islanders played last night, beating the Edmonton Oilers 3-1.
Islanders vs Capitals Picks
- NHL Pick: Capitals 4-2
Semyon Varlamov (2.73 GAA, .919 save percentage) is projected to start in goal for the Islanders, while Darcy Kuemper (2.97 GAA, .897 save percentage) is likely to get the nod for the Capitals. Let’s take a closer look at the Islanders vs Capitals betting analysis.
New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals Odds
Islanders vs Capitals Information
New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals
Location of the game: Capital One Arena. Washington, D.C.
Date & Time: Wednesday, December 20. 7:30 p.m.
How to Watch: TNT
Recent Scores
Diving into the Islanders vs Capitals betting analysis, we see that New York is one of the hottest NHL teams in the league as of late, going 7-1-2 in its last 10 games, including a 3-1 victory over the Oilers on Tuesday. Ilya Sorokin made 31 saves in the win, while Anders Lee, Bo Horvat, and Simon Holmstrom found the back of the net.
In the last 10 Washington Capitals games, the fifth-place team has a 5-3-2 record and is coming off of a 2-1 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington was among the NHL picks to miss the playoffs this season, but they’re currently just one point out of a wild card spot with five games in hand.
New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals Betting Analysis
Islanders Goaltending Carrying the Team Lately
If we’re making New York Islanders predictions on team defense alone, the Islanders would likely be favored to lose in most games. They give up the second-most shots per game (35.6) and have the league’s worst penalty kill (72 percent), but are 15th in goals allowed (3.16), in large part due to the play of Sorokin and Varlamov, who have combined to give up just 25 goals in their last 10 games.
The offense has improved too. The New York Islanders have scored 41 goals during that stretch, which brings its goals per game (3.1) to 18th in the league. They have the league’s fifth-best power-play and scored two goals with the man advantage against the Oilers last night. New York is 6-5-2 on the road this season and 2-1 in the second half of a back-to-back.
Capitals Winning Despite High-End Talent
The one thing that sticks out in the Islanders vs Capitals betting analysis is the lack of high-end talent on Washington’s roster. Yes, they have one of the greatest goalscorers in NHL history in Alex Ovechkin, but he has just five goals this season and is third in NHL player stats for the team with 17 points. Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson are tied for the team lead with 18 points. In contrast, New York has five players with more than 18 points.
The Washington Capitals are 30th in goals (2.39), 29th in shots (27.5), and have the worst power-play in the league (9.8 percent). They’ve underperformed in just about every offensive category, but rank 10th in goals allowed (2.79). They’re 8-4-2 at home this season and 7-2-1 in the NHL schedule against teams in the Metropolitan.
Updates
Defensemen Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, and Scott Mayfield are on the NHL injury report for the Islanders. Washington is without T.J. Oshie, Sonny Milano, and Max Pacioretty, the latter of whom has yet to play this season but is hoping to return after the Christmas break.
Islanders vs. Capitals Betting Preview
- Washington is the betting favorite with -125 moneyline odds and -1.5 (+185) puck line odds.
- The Islanders are +105 underdogs with +1.5 (-250) puck line odds.
- The over/under for the Islanders vs Capitals betting analysis is 5.5.
New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals Betting Prediction
Considering the Islanders are on the second half of a back-to-back and the Capitals are rested. There’s a lot to like about the Washington moneyline as well as the over 5.5 (-135). The Islanders were over that total in five of their last six games.
- NHL Pick: Capitals 4-2
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