Edit Content

NHL Expert Picks; Washington Capitals VS Anaheim Ducks Predictions Today

Washington Capitals VS Anaheim Ducks will have the Ducks on the road playing the Capitals at Capital One Arena. Anaheim has a record of 17-34-7, while Washington has a 28-25-6 record.

Last season these teams played faced off twice, with both of them winning one matchup each.

Ahead of the puck drop at 16 GMT, these are the NHL Predictions Today for Capitals and Ducks, courtesy of MatchPlug.

Predictions and Betting Preview for Washington Capitals VS Anaheim Ducks

Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington.
When: Thursday, February 23rd, 2023
Time: 16:00 GMT
Teams to play: Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks
NHL Picks: SPREAD -1.5

Odds as seen on 1XBet and BetMGM.

Betting On The Washington Capitals

Season Record: 28-25-6

1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.595
1XBet Over/Under: Under 5.5
BetMGM Spread: -1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.30
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 6

In their previous game, the Washington Capitals were a -155 favourite, but they conceded a 3-1 defeat against the Detroit Red Wings. Tom Wilson scored the lone goal, while Darcy Kuemper allowed three goals out of 25 shots faced.

The Capitals’ offense has been struggling lately. They scored two or lower goals in 7 out of the last 10 games. This team is 23rd in goals per game and 17th in shots per game. Alex Ovechkin leads Washington with 54 points and 32 goals. However, Ovechkin’s stance as a saving grace is doubtful due to personal reasons. He is expected to return to Washington before Thursday’s game and if he can play, he will dress up for the match. Meanwhile, Evgeny Kuznetsov has 45 points and Dylan Strome has 37 points.

Washington’s defense and goaltending have been good for the team. They are number 13 in goals against per game and 11th in shots against per game. Darcy Kuemper has a record of 16-18-4 with a 2.68 GAA and a.913 SV%. Charlie Lindgren has a record of 12-7-2 with a 2.69 GAA and .907 SV%.

The Capitals are in sixth position in the Metropolitan Division and are on the outside fighting for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. To achieve this, they’ll need their offense to step up. The New York Islanders and Panthers hold the two Wild Card spots but five points or lower separate the Islanders, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings. It’ll be a tough race to the end of the season.

Betting On The Anaheim Ducks

Season Record: 17-34-7

1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.60
1XBet Over/Under: Over 5.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 4.94
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 6

Anaheim Ducks were a +425 underdog in their last game and lost 6-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ryan Strome scored the only goal. Lukas Dostal allowed 6 goals out of 44 shots faced.

The Ducks’ offense hasn’t been good this season. They rank last in goals per game and 25th in shots per game. Anaheim scored 3 or lower goals in 9 consecutive games. Trevor Zegras leads the team with 48 points on the year. Zegras and Adam Henrique both lead with 19 goals. Troy Terry has 42 points.

The defense and goaltending side, have been bad for the Ducks this season. The team ranks last in goals against per game and last in shots against per game. John Gibson has a record of 10-23-6 with a 4.07 GAA and .898 SV%. Anthony Stolarz has a record of 5-6-0 with a 3.73 GAA and .899 SV%.

Anaheim is in the last position in the Pacific Division with no chance of reaching the playoffs.

MatchPlug Prediction

Lately, these two teams have been struggling. Anaheim with 6 successive games lost and Washington with 5.

The Ducks have not had a good road play this season; they have an 8-18-6 road record. Their offense hasn’t been anything to write home about either. Anaheim is last in goals per game and 25th in shots per game. They scored 3 or lower goals in nine straight games.

For the Capitals, the defense and goaltending have been good. They rank 13th in goals against per game and 11th in shots per game. Washington must win this game to scale through in the Eastern Conference.

Although they’ve struggled lately, the Capitals are a much better team than the Ducks and NHL Expert Picks say they’ll win tomorrow’s game by two or more goals.

Final Prediction: Washington Capitals spread.