Los Angeles Kings vs Washington Capitals Betting Pick & Prediction 12/22/24
Betting on today’s Kings and Capitals game? Catch the action at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, as the Capitals hosts this showdown at 5:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Capitals as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals.
LOS ANGELES KINGS VS WASHINGTON CAPITALS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Washington Capitals -1.5
This game will be played at Capital One Arena at 5:00 ET on Sunday, December 22nd.
WHY BET THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS:
- The Capitals enter this game as 1.5-goal favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 4-3.
- Take the Capitals on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Kings (+1.5)
Does Los Angeles Have a Shot at a Road Win?
The Kings fell to 19-9-5 after a 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks. Los Angeles led 3-2 until Chicago tied it with just 31 seconds left, and the Blackhawks went on to win in the shootout. The Kings were favored on the puck line, and the total of 7 goals went over the pre-game line of 6.
Los Angeles had a 2-0 lead going into the third period, but the Blackhawks scored three times in the final frame. Alex Laferriere scored twice for the Kings, with Phillip Danault adding the other goal.
Alex Laferriere netted his 7th and 8th goals of the season, with his first coming on a power play at 16:03 in the first period. Phillip Danault added his first goal of the season at 8:12 in the third period.
The Kings took 40 shots on goal and recorded 13 giveaways. Kevin Fiala contributed two assists, bringing his total to 5 for the season.
Los Angeles appeared to be in control with a 3-2 lead late in the 3rd period, but their defense gave up the tying goal to Chicago with just 31 seconds left. The Kings also allowed three shootout goals, resulting in a 4-3 loss. Goalie Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves with a save percentage of 85.7%.
Will the Capitals Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?
With a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals are now 22-8-2 this season. Washington held a 2-1 lead after the first period, but Carolina scored three unanswered goals to secure the win.
The total for the game was set at 6 goals, and the combined score matched that number. Washington, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. Both of the Capitals’ goals came in the first period, with Alex Ovechkin tying the game at 1-1 and Brandon Duhaime giving them a brief lead.
After falling behind early, Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd goal just 11 seconds before the first period ended. Ovechkin took 5 shots on goal, and Duhaime had 3.
Washington recorded 21 shots on goal but struggled with 15 giveaways. Dylan Strome picked up his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s goal, and Nic Dowd earned his 2nd assist on Duhaime’s score.
Defensively, the Capitals will look to bounce back after giving up four goals to Carolina, including three unanswered after taking a 2-1 lead. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but the defense allowed 44 shots on goal. The Capitals also had 16 blocks and 2 takeaways.