The Washington Capitals will look to stay perfect in the NHL Stadium Series when they battle the Carolina Hurricanes in a Metropolitan Division matchup on Saturday. The Capitals (28-23-6), who have dropped six of nine, including three consecutive, were victorious in their previous Stadium Series appearance, a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Annapolis, Md., in 2018. The Hurricanes (36-10-8), who hold a five-point edge over the New Jersey Devils in the division, are making their initial appearance in the Stadium Series. Carolina is coming off a 6-2 win over Montreal on Thursday, while Washington was beaten 6-3 at home against Florida. Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss this game for Washington following the death of his father.
The puck will drop at 8 p.m. ET at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.. Carolina is favored at -205 (risk $205 to win $100) in the latest Capitals vs. Hurricanes odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Hurricanes vs. Capitals picks, check out the 2023 NHL Stadium Series predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
This model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times, taking into account factors like current form, individual matchups, injuries and short- and long-term trends when making NHL picks. The model seeks the best values on the money line, puck line and total.
Now, the model has set its sights on Capitals vs. Hurricanes in this Stadium Series 2023 matchup. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the latest NHL odds from and trends for Hurricanes vs. Capitals:
- Capitals vs. Hurricanes money line: Washington +170, Carolina -205
- Capitals vs. Hurricanes over/under: 5.5 goals
- Capitals vs. Hurricanes puck line: Carolina -1.5 (+126)
- WAS: The Capitals are 7-3 in their last 10 games against Metropolitan Division teams
- CAR: The Hurricanes are 26-7 in their last 33 contests overall
- Capitals vs. Hurricanes picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Capitals
Center Evgeny Kuznetsov is second on the team in scoring with nine goals and 36 assists for 45 points. Kuznetsov has also been effective on the power play, scoring five goals, while assisting on a team-high 12 others. He has been red hot of late, scoring three goals and adding an assist over the past five games. He is coming off a goal in the 6-3 loss to Florida on Thursday.
Goalie Darcy Kuemper, coming off a Stanley Cup win with Colorado last year, has been solid for Washington. He has a 2.63 GAA and a .914 save percentage, and a big game from him could certainly help Washington pull off the upset.
Why you should back the Hurricanes
Right wing Andrei Svechnikov is having a solid season for Carolina, and is third on the team in scoring with 19 goals and 27 assists. He has added seven assists over the past five games, including three against Montreal on Thursday. He has also registered two hat tricks on the year. He had a three-goal performance at Edmonton on Oct. 20 in a 6-4 loss, and a three-goal effort at home against Edmonton on Nov. 10 in a 7-2 win.
Defenseman Brent Burns has helped out the offense when needed and has registered 11 goals and 29 assists. Burns, who is from Barrie, Ontario, Canada, has lit up the scoreboard over the past five games, scoring three goals, while adding three assists. He had two assists in Thursday's win over Montreal. He has had two or more assists in a game six times this season.
How to make Hurricanes vs. Capitals picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 6.0 combined goals. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Capitals vs. Hurricanes? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the money line to jump on Saturday, all from the advanced model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times.
