The President’s Trophy winners will start their quest for a Stanley Cup as they welcome the Washington Capitals to South Florida. This is sure to be a highly offensive series as these two teams both ranked in the top ten of the NHL in goals per game during the regular season.
Florida Panthers won the season series 2-1 against the Capitals, but all three games were decided by one goal. Puck drop for this playoff matchup is scheduled for 7:30 pm Eastern Time at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise.
Last Game Records
Washington Capitals
- Last Game: Loss 3-2 to the New York Rangers
- Overall Record: 44-26-12
Florida Panthers
- Last Game: Loss 10-2 to the Montreal Canadiens
- Overall Record: 58-18-6
Matchup Information
Capitals at Panthers Betting Analysis
Washington Capitals Betting Analysis
The Washington Capitals got into the playoffs as the last-place team in the Eastern Conference. In the last month of the regular season, the Caps were playing some good hockey, but unfortunately, they are going into these playoffs on a four-game losing streak to end the season.
Washington is one of the best offensive teams in the NHL this season. They averaged 3.29 goals per game during the regular season. They have a top-end scoring ability that starts with their captain himself.
Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps in both points and goals. He finished the regular season with 90 points from his 50 goals and 40 assists. He is always a factor in the offensive zone when he is on the ice. If he is healthy enough to play, expect the NHL betting stats to sway towards the over for the Capitals.
It is unsure who the Capitals will start in Game 1 of this series, but they have two capable goaltenders who are able to keep Washington in each contest. Ilya Samsonov (23-12-5, 3.02GAA, .896sv%) and Vitek Vanecek (20-12-6, 2.67GAA, .908sv%) both may be called upon to play their best hockey to keep the Panthers at bay.
Washington currently has a winning record (16-10) as the underdog this season. They have hit the over in 46 games this season. The NHL betting odds are sure to pay attention to the potent Capitals’ offense in this series.
Florida Panthers Betting Analysis
The Florida Panthers have been one of the top NHL expert picks to win the Stanley Cup just about all season. They have a dangerous roster that is coming off winning the President’s Trophy this regular season.
The Panthers were able to coast into the playoffs and make sure their roster remains healthy for their potential deep playoff run.
What makes the Florida Panthers so dangerous is their ability to score. They have the best offense in the NHL this season. They finished the regular season with the best goals per game average in the league with 4.11 goals per game.
Their offense is led by leading goal scorer Aleksander Barkov. He finished the regular season with 39 goals. He is a superstar center for the Panthers and is able to impact the game in many ways more than one.
The Panthers will start the series with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in the net. Management, coaches, and fans surely know about his recent struggles in the playoffs.
He had fantastic numbers during the regular season with his 39-7-3 record with a 2.79GAA and a .908 save percentage. Expect the Panthers to ride Bobrovsky until something drastic goes south for this team.
They have a stellar 56-16 record as the favorite this season and have exceeded the “over” in 44 of their games. NHL betting picks are going to favor this team in this series as well as them exceeding the goal line for each matchup.
Updates
Washington Capitals
- Alex Ovechkin is probable for Game 1 with an upper-body injury
- Ovechkin had four goals in three games against the Panthers this season
- The Caps are 25-10-6 as the away team this year
Florida Panthers
- D-Man Aaron Ekblad expected to return in mid-May from his lower-body injury
- Defenseman Radko Gudas expected to play in Game 1 from a lower-body injury
- Forward Jonathan Huberdeau is probable for Game 1 with an undisclosed injury
Capitals at Panthers Betting Preview
The Washington Capitals are the Moneyline underdog in Game 1 with +195 odds. The Panthers are the heavy favorites with -218 odds. The puck line has Washington as a +1.5 with -125 odds, while Florida is -1.5 with +105 odds to cover.
The over/under for Game 1 is at 6.5 total goals. The over odds are -116, while the under odds are +105. It is no surprise that the oddsmakers see these two teams going over the scoring threshold in the first game of this series.
Capitals at Panthers Betting Prediction
The Panthers have been one of the best teams at home during the 2021-22 regular season. Expect that trend to continue when they face the Capitals in Game 1. Between these two teams, it isn’t if a team will score; it simply is how many goals each team will get.
Even with both of these teams having capable goaltenders, these two potent offenses will outscore the oddsmakers and exceed the “over” for Game 1 in the series.
How to bet on Capitals at Panthers
If someone were to place $100 on the Capitals covering the 1.5 goal puck line, they would get a return of $80. The same bet on the Panthers would get a return of $105.
A $100 bet on the Caps to win on the Moneyline would give the winner $195. The same play on the Panthers with -218 odds would return $45.87.
A bet of $100 on the over 6.5 with -116 odds would return $86.21 in winnings, while the same bet on the under would return $105 in winnings.
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