Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals Betting Pick & Prediction 12/20/24

Looking to win big? The Hurricanes and Capitals face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Capitals are hosting the game at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The Hurricanes come into this Metropolitan division matchup as the -1.5 goal favorite to pick up the win. Currently, the over/under for the game is at 6 goals.

CAROLINA HURRICANES VS WASHINGTON CAPITALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Capitals +1.5

This game will be played at Capital One Arena at 7:00 ET on Friday, December 20th.

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS:

• Despite being 1.5 goal underdogs, we predict the Capitals to come out on top with a final score of 4-3.
• We like the Capitals on the moneyline (+119)
• The Capitals are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Can Carolina Deliver Being Favored on the Road?

Carolina improved to 20-10-1 with a 4-2 win over the Capitals. The Hurricanes covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals was a push.

The Hurricanes scored first, but the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. Carolina tied it up in the second and added two more goals to secure the win, including an empty-netter with 9 seconds left in the game.

Carolina took 45 shots on goal in their 4-2 win over Washington, with Dmitry Orlov scoring twice on just 3 shots. Martin Necas added his 6th goal of the season and picked up his 12th assist on Orlov’s second goal. Andrei Svechnikov closed out the scoring with an empty-netter, his 6th goal of the year.

The Hurricanes scored once in the first period, twice in the second, and added their final goal with just 9 seconds left in the game. They had 14 offensive giveaways and were unable to convert on any power play opportunities.

Carolina’s defense gave up two late goals in the first period but locked things down after that, not allowing another goal in the 2nd or 3rd. Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves, finishing with a 90.5% save percentage. The Hurricanes’ defense also recorded 7 takeaways, 10 hits, and 11 blocks.

Does Washington Stand a Chance at Home?

The Capitals fell to 21-8-2 after a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes. Washington’s defense struggled, allowing 44 shots on goal. The Capitals trailed early but took the lead with two goals in the first period, only for the Hurricanes to score three unanswered goals.

Washington was the underdog on the puck line, and the total for the game was set at 6 goals, which ended up being the exact combined score. Alex Ovechkin and Brandon Duhaime each scored for the Capitals, but they couldn’t find the net after the first period.

Washington’s offense got off to a quick start with two first-period goals in their 4-2 loss to Carolina. Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime followed with his 2nd goal. Ovechkin took 5 shots on goal, and Duhaime had 3.

The Capitals registered 21 shots on goal but struggled with giveaways, committing 15. John Carlson picked up his 7th assist on Ovechkin’s goal, and Dylan Strome added his 13th assist.

Defensively, the Capitals allowed the first goal at 5:59 in the first period and three more after taking a 2-1 lead. Carolina scored twice in the second period and added an empty-net goal with 9 seconds left in the third. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, while the Capitals’ defense recorded 2 takeaways and 20 hits.