Capitals vs Golden Knights Betting Preview
Hockey handicapper JM Sports breaks down tonight’s Capitals vs Golden Knights showdown in Washington on Monday, January 24. At the time of posting, the Capitals have opened as a modest -120 home favorite over the visiting Golden Knights, with the total sitting at six goals.
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Monday, January 24 | NHL Betting Notes |
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Moneyline: | Washington Capitals -120 / Las Vegas Golden Knights +100 |
Puckline: | Capitals -1.5 (+185) / Golden Knights +1.5 (-215) |
Total: | 6 Goals |
Game Time: | 7:05pm ET / 4:05pm PT |
Arena: | Capital One Arena in Washington |
TV: | NHL Network |
Capitals vs Golden Knights Analysis
Las Vegas heads to Washington to take on the Capitals, in a game that could have playoff implications on the line for both teams.
It looks as though Las Vegas will be without Mark Stone, but they can’t let that effect their play, especially as they attempt to hang on to the No. 1 spot in the Pacific Division where Vegas holds a narrow lead over the Kings and the Ducks.
This could be a huge opportunity for Washington to make up a little ground in the Metro. Washington sits in fourth place in their division, but the New York Rangers are the only team ahead of them that is set to take the ice on Monday. With Pittsburgh and Carolina off, Washington looks to take advantage of the big opportunity to potentially take over the top spot, or at least put themselves in sole possession of second place, depending on the outcome of the Rangers game.
Lehner Leads Las Vegas
The Golden Knights look to have Robin Lehner in the net for this match-up on Monday. Although he sits just behind Vanacek (WAS) in save percentage and goals allowed on average, Lehner has put up some solid numbers this season, and does hold an advantage in save percentage when you look back over the last three seasons, stopping 91.3% of shots on goal. Lehner also holds the advantage with a save percentage of 91.5% in non-conference games, while also stopping 90.9% of shots on the road, and the team is 7-4 in his last 11 starts away from T-Mobile Arena.
While Vegas is just 2-5 in their last 7 games, they are still coming in at No. 6 in goals per game (3.463) and No. 7 in shots per game (34.44) while also allowing just 29.78 shots to the opposition (No. 7 in the NHL). They haven’t been able to pull out the win frequently in the last seven games, but they have scored 3+ goals in four of their last five games.
Vegas has cashed in on their last six games on the road, but they hold a 1-4 record in their five games at Washington, and a 2-6 record overall against Washington in the last eight meetings. Yet, a road dog between +100 & +150 on the money line that has lost two of their last three games, when playing just their three game (or less) in the last ten days is 34-17 in the last 2 seasons. Vegas is also 11-0 on the road when the total is 6+ in the last two years and they are 25-5 after allowing 3+ goals in back-to-back games with Deboer as head coach.
Capitalizing on Opportunities
Vitek Vanacek is expected to get the nod in the net for this matchup and he has been impressive this season. He is allowing just over 2.5 goals per game on the year and stopping nearly 91% of the shots on goal fired his way, yet Washington is 5-6 in his home starts and just 2-5 in his games against non-conference opponents.
Washington has kept themselves in the playoff hunt in the division on the defensive side of the ice, even though Ovechkin and team has done their part on the offensive side, holding the No. 9 ranking in shooting percentage (10.36%), the defense has allowed the second-fewest shots on goal this season. That defensive pressure has held the opposition to 2.756 goals per game (No. 11 in the league).
Washington has also played smart and avoided hurting themselves in games, while they have struggled to capitalize on the power play, they haven’t given the opportunity for the other team to spend much time with an advantage on the ice, Washington commits the second-fewest penalties in the league. Washington holds the advantage against Vegas, especially on their home ice, but the Capitals are just 3-6 in their last nine games overall.
Capitals vs Golden Knights Prediction
This game looks to be an exciting game, with a lot on the line for both teams. Vegas and Washington are both capable of making a push for the postseason, and a potential to make a run in the playoffs! While Vegas is sitting in the driver seat in their division, this isn’t a game to take lightly.
Opinion : Las Vegas (+100). The recent play by Vegas shouldn’t sum up the talent on this team. They are first in their division for a reason and I think Washington is going to find out why.
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Hockey Betting 101
Thanks to the expansion of sports betting offerings, bettors can now take advantage of a variety of point spread options in hockey:
Period Pucklines – Instead of the traditional -1.5 / +1.5 pucklines for the full game, a period puckline is displayed with -0.5 / +0.5. Betting on the favorite with the period puckline requires them to out-score their opponent in that period. Betting on the underdog with the +0.5 head start allows the bet to cash if the two teams are tied after that individual period.
Reverse Pucklines – The reverse puckline gives the favorite a +1.5 head start and turns the underdog into the -1.5 role. Bettors might be intrigued by this option if they are looking at an underdog they think might win by 2+ goals at a very juicy price.
Alternate Pucklines – The alternate puckline bumps the point spread from 1.5 to 2.5 goals. So the favorite has to win the game by three or more goals, and the underdog can now lose the game by two goals and still cash a bet on the alternate puckline.
…Check out Sportsmemo’s Sports Betting Guides for more information.
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