NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Canadiens vs Capitals (Tuesday, February 6)
Patrick Smith/Getty Images. Pictured: Goalie Charlie Lindgren #79 of the Washington Capitals
Canadiens vs. Capitals Odds
| Canadiens Odds | +132 |
| Capitals Odds | -160 |
| Over / Under | 5.5 -120o / +100u |
Here's everything you need to know about the Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals on Tuesday, Jan. 6 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
The NHL is back after the All-Star break, and we have an Eastern Conference matchup between two teams both looking for a better second half of the season than they experienced during the first half.
The Canadiens (20-21-8) hit the road to play the Capitals (22-18-7) this Tuesday night as both teams look to enter the win column to build some momentum.
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The Capitals are entering this game as losers of four in a row and need to string together a winning streak to claw their way back into playoff seeding.
To do so, they will need to see an improvement on the offensive end of the ice. Washington ranks 30th in the NHL in expected goals for percentage (xGF%), 26th in the league in Corsi For Percentage (CF%), and 27th in Fenwick For Percentage (FF%).
To say the Capitals need a massive adjustment on the attacking side would be an understatement.
The positive for the Capitals is they seem to now understand that goalie Charlie Lindgren gives them the best chance to win day in and day out. He is the confirmed starter for tonight’s game and has shown throughout the first half of the season that he is the superior goalie compared to teammate Darcy Kuemper.
Lindgren has posted a 2.58 goals against average (GAA) with a 91.6% save percentage (SV%) this season. His counterpart in Kuemper has a 3.21 GAA and 89.2% save percentage.
We should see an improved defensive Capitals team during the second half of the season if they continue to start Lindgren.
For the Canadiens, it seems as if they have accepted their fate and have begun the selloff in response to their third consecutive bottom-seeded season.
They recently traded center Sean Monahan, who spent parts of two seasons with the Canadiens as a signal that they are continuing the rebuild. We will likely see more pieces traded away by Montreal in the next month before the trade deadline on March 8.
Offensively, the Canadiens are no improvement to the Capitals. They also rank in the bottom half of the league in nearly all advanced metrics. Montreal is 26th in xGF%, 28th in CF%, and 28th in FF%.
Montreal tends to rely on goalie Sam Montembeault to keep them in games, and he has been confirmed as the starter for tonight’s matchup.
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Canadiens vs. Capitals
Betting Pick & Prediction
Considering the poor offensive statistics for both bottom-tier teams, my favorite play in this game is the total at Under 5.5 goals (+100 odds at bet365).
Both netminders are above-average goalies in GAA and SV%, and they should be able to keep enough pucks out of the net tonight.
I have projected this game as a 3-2 Capitals win, which will keep us under the total. Take the under in this Tuesday night matchup and expect a low-scoring, defensive battle. We'll play the Under 5.5 down to -115.
Pick: Under 5.5 (+100 at bet365)
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