The Washington Capitals (3-2-0) and the Carolina Hurricanes (5-1-1) meet Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Puck drop is set for 6:45 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let's analyze NHL odds around the Capitals vs. Hurricanes odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Capitals lead 1-0
Washington (+124) won 5-2 in the first meeting Oct. 2 in Raleigh as the Over (6.5) cashed. RW Alex Tuch led the way, going for 2 goals and a plus-2 rating. D Jakob Chychrun had a goal and an assist, while C Dylan Strome ended up with 2 helpers to back G Logan Thompson (31 saves) for the win.
Washington was cooled off Sunday in a 5-3 home loss to the Seattle Kraken as a heavy favorite (-205) as the Over (6.5) cashed. The Capitals have scored
3 or more goals in 4 of their 5 outings, averaging 3.4 goals per game (GPG). The Over has a 3-2 edge.
Since that 5-2 loss to the Capitals, the Hurricanes have rolled up 5 consecutive victories, while totaling 5.0 GPG, while allowing 2 or fewer goals in 4 of those 5 victories. The Over is 3-1 in the past 4 games.
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Capitals at Hurricanes odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:32 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Capitals +136 (bet $100 to win $136) | Hurricanes -164 (bet $164 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Capitals +1.5 (-188) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+148)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +104 | U: -128)
Capitals at Hurricanes projected goalies
Logan Thompson (3-1-0, 2.77 GAA, .903 SV%) vs. Pyotr Kochetkov (3-0-0, 1.64 GAA, .912 SV%)
Thompson suffered his first loss of the season last time out against the Kraken, allowing 5 goals on 27 shots Sunday. That snapped a 3-game win streak to start the season, including the Oct. 2 win in Carolina, when he allowed 2 goals on 33 shots in a 5-2 road win.
Kochetkov has fired out of the chute with 3 wins in 3 tries, including a pair of road victories in Philadelphia Oct. 3, and Sunday. His only previous home start came in a 7-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks Thursday, stopping 18 of 20 shots.
Capitals at Hurricanes picks and predictions
Prediction
Hurricanes 3, Capitals 2
Moneyline
The HURRICANES (-164) head into this one on a roll, and they're worth a play as moderate favorites as the defending Stanley Cup champions look for a little bit of payback after their only regulation loss of the season to Washington Oct. 2 at Lenovo Center.
Puck line/Against the spread
If you can't take the Capitals +1.5 (-188) straight up, playing Washington on the puck line will cost you nearly 2 times your potential return. If you require insurance, that's just a little too expensive for my liking. If you were to toss this into a multi-leg parlay, that might be OK. But, AVOID straight up.
Over/Under
UNDER 6.5 (-128) is worth a look, but be careful. Again, the Over has cashed in 3 of 5 games to date for Washington, while Carolina has cashed high in 3 of the past 4 games, and 2 of 3 outings at home.
Still, in the second matchup in less than 2 weeks, familiarity will help to keep scores down.
Best prop bet
Hurricanes C LOGAN STANKOVEN ANYTIME GOAL (+230) is a strong play for the chance to more than double up. He has no goals and just 1 assists in 4 road games, but his last home game saw the hats fly against Vancouver Thursday, scoring 3 goals with a plus-2 rating on 5 shots. He had a power-play goal and shorthanded goal in that outing. And, he scored a goal in the first game against Washington, too. This is too good for a value to pass up.
Betting odds calculator
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on X at @danieledobish. Follow SportsbookWire on X at SportsBookWire and on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes odds, picks and predictions
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