NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Capitals vs. Kraken (December 1)
Scott Taetsch/Getty Images. Pictured: TJ Oshie of the Washington Capitals.
- The Seattle Kraken meet the Washington Capitals in NHL action.
- The Kraken find themselves in the middle of a hot streak, but the Caps are finally starting to return some key players to their lineup.
- Nick Martin breaks down this NHL game and shares his top pick below.
Capitals vs. Kraken Odds
| Capitals Odds | +100 |
| Kraken Odds | -120 |
| Over/Under | 6 (-105/-115) |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV | ROOT-NW |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
Washington will head into Climate Pledge Arena for a date with the red-hot Seattle Kraken, who are in the midst of a franchise-record six-game winning streak.
Seattle's 10-1-1 record in the month of November was its best in franchise history and has catapulted the Kraken to fifth overall in league standings.
Will the Kraken keep their winning streak alive at home on Thursday?
Washington Capitals
Washington played what was clearly its game of the season Tuesday in Vancouver, outplaying the Canucks notably in a dominant 5-1 victory.
The signs that Washington is preparing to turn the corner after a poor start record-wise are starting to show. Having some more capable scorers back in the lineup such as T.J. Oshie and John Carlson should help the team trend upward moving forward.
Washington has played to a 55.35 xGF% over the last five contests and has earned a steady 3-2-1 record throughout that span.
When true to form, Washington's defenders help drive the play in the offensive zone and help to lead a beautiful five-man weave. Over the last two weeks of play, it's clear that the Capitals are beginning to look more in sync.
The addition of Oshie makes a massive difference in helping Washington's powerplay set up more effectively. Oshie is a right-shot who plays the bumper role on the unit, and with Connor Brown and Tom Wilson also sidelined, Washington had been forced to use left-handed shots in that spot.
When a team plays a lefty in that role, it makes it significantly easier for the opposition to overplay Ovechkin and not pay the price. Moving forward, Washington could be due for an uptick on the power play with Oshie back.
Darcy Kuemper has been very steady for the Caps in goal and will likely draw the start for tonight's contest. Kuemper owns a .917 save percentage and +4.7 goals saved above expected rating in 18 games played.
Seattle Kraken
The main reason Seattle vastly overachieved a season ago was the play of its netminding trio, which combined to play to a league-worst -42.1 goals saved above expected rating.
Martin Jones has played to strong results overall but has been dreadful over the last three outings, allowing 17 goals against on 72 shots for a .777 save percentage.
It's expected that Philipp Grubauer will be given the start tonight in turn. Grubauer has followed up his performance as the worst goaltender in the NHL last season with poor form again.
In five appearances Grubauer holds a -3.9 GSAx and .887 save percentage throughout five appearances.
Seattle has hidden those goaltending concerns by pouring in a ridiculous 5.33 goals per game over this winning streak, Simply put, it owns a deeper roster offensively than the vast majority of casual fans may realize.
However, it's still more likely that Seattle's goaltending tandem will continue to falter than it is that the team can score 5.33 goals per game, which is a concern moving forward.
Capitals vs. Kraken Pick
The signs are there that Washington is about to go on a considerable upswing as it acclimates to having some of its top stars back in the lineup.
Tuesday's contest in Vancouver was Washington's best game of the season, and I believe this is a great spot to target the Caps to end Seattle's streak.
Seattle's analytical profile is very similar to the Caps this month, and the Kraken's recent six-game winning streak has come from beating on Pacific Division sides.
With the talent actually in the lineup for Washington tonight, this game will likely be more hotly contested than many may expect.
Kuemper offers a notable goaltending edge over both Grubauer and Jones, and if Seattle can't finish chances off at the alarmingly high rate it has over the last four contests, the underdog Capitals will likely surprise in this spot.
The +105 number is a great price to back the Capitals, as Seattle is now being slightly overvalued due to its red-hot start to the season, Meanwhile, Washington seems likely to make a strong push back into respectability in December.
Pick: Capitals +105 (Play to +100)
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