New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25

Betting on today’s Rangers and Capitals game? Catch the action at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, as the Capitals hosts this showdown at 12:00 ET on ABC. The over/under for this game is set at 6 goals, and the Capitals are favored by -1.5 against the Rangers in a Metropolitan division matchup.

NEW YORK RANGERS VS WASHINGTON CAPITALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Capitals -1.5

This game will be played at Capital One Arena at 12:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS:

• Based on our analysis, we foresee the Capitals winning the game with a predicted score of 4-2.
• Take the Capitals on the moneyline
• The Capitals should also cover at -1.5

Will the Rangers Exceed Expectations on the Road?

The Rangers moved closer to .500 with a 5-2 road win over the Islanders, bringing their record to 17-19-1. As -1.5 goal favorites, New York covered the puck line, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

Four different players scored for the Rangers, with Artemi Panarin leading the way with two goals. The Rangers’ defense held the Islanders scoreless in the first and third periods.

Artemi Panarin led the Rangers with two goals in their 5-2 win over the Islanders, including his 9th of the season on an empty net. Earlier, he netted his 8th goal on a power play. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal, his 8th of the year. Vincent Trocheck added his 4th, while Adam Edstrom scored his first goal of the season.

Mika Zibanejad contributed with three assists, bringing his season total to 8. The Rangers fired 40 shots on goal but also had 14 giveaways. After Kreider’s shorthanded goal, Panarin followed with a power-play goal in the second period.

Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, helping the Rangers to a 5-2 win over the Islanders. Defensively, the Rangers had 18 blocks and 10 takeaways. After giving up a late goal in the 2nd period, they shut out the Islanders in the 3rd.

Will the Capitals Win at Home?

With a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals now sit at 25-11-3 for the season. Washington led 2-1 after the first period, but the Hurricanes responded with three unanswered goals. The total for the game was set at 6 goals, and the combined score hit that mark exactly.

Washington was the underdog on the puck line, and they failed to cover. They scored both of their goals in the first period, with the Hurricanes tying it up at 2-2 early in the second. Carolina’s final goal came with just 9 seconds left in the game.

Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd goal in the Capitals’ 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes. Ovechkin took 5 shots on goal, and Duhaime had 3. Nic Dowd picked up his 2nd assist of the season, and Dylan Strome added his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s goal.

Washington took 21 shots on goal but was held scoreless after the first period. The Capitals had 15 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Capitals will aim to bounce back after allowing three straight goals in their previous game against the Hurricanes. Despite taking a 2-1 lead late in the first period, they gave up two goals in the second and another in the third. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but Washington’s defense recorded just two takeaways and 20 hits.