Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, and the Calgary Flames will do battle against Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, and the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in a cross-continent showdown. Sportsnet West will showcase the game, and the action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, February 1.
Calgary Flames at Washington Capitals Odds
The Flames (-115) are tabbed as the favorites over the Capitals (-105) and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals (-115 for the over, -105 for the under).
Calgary is 33-18 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 10.1 units this season. 28 of its games have gone over the total, while 22 have gone under and just one has pushed. This 2018-19 Flames team is 16-9 SU on the road.
Calgary has converted on 23.2 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s good enough for ninth-best in the NHL. Its penalty kill is ranked 20th in the league, and the team’s successfully killed off 79.2 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 25.3 saves per game with a .918 save percentage, David Rittich (20-10-4) has been the best option in goal for Calgary this season. If it chooses to rest him, however, the team could roll with Mike Smith (15-10-1), who has a .888 save percentage and 3.04 goals against average this year.
Over on the other bench, Washington is 27-23 straight up (SU) and has lost 2.5 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 50 regular season outings, 26 of its games have gone over the total, while 21 have gone under and just three have pushed. It’s 13-12 SU at home this year.
The Capitals have converted on 21.8 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s good enough for ninth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 24th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 77.3 percent of all opponent power plays.
Braden Holtby (27.7 saves per game) has been the top netminder in the crease for the Capitals. Holtby has 17 wins, 18 losses, and five OT losses to his credit and has registered a poor .905 save percentage and 3.10 goals against average this season.
Calgary Flames at Washington Capitals Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Capitals, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The Capitals are 3-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Flames are 0-2 in shootouts.
- Over Calgary’s last ten games, five of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 4-1 in those games).
- The Capitals this season have recorded the 11th-most hits per game in the NHL (22.9).
