NHL: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Washington Capitals Odds Preview

The Philadelphia Flyers (31-22-7, 99 points) head to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Capitals (27-22-9, 63 points), who many think are out of the playoff picture but, in reality, are just six points behind the Flyers for third in the Metro and six points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final wild-card spot in the East.

NHL odds have opened the game -110 each way with a total of 6 (-110). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT and can be seen on the NHL Network, NBC Sports Philadelphia, and the Monumental Sports Network, We start our Flyers vs. Capitals odds preview with a deeper look at Philadelphia. 

Flyers Continue Surprise Run

What the Philadelphia Flyers are doing wasn’t supposed to happen. Fans were expecting to be among the league’s worst while enjoying a mascot that’s among the league’s best. With 22 games to play, the Flyers would have to have a complete meltdown to not make the postseason under head coach John Tortorella.

Now, this brings up an interesting debate with the trade deadline approaching: does GM Daniel Briere continue to look to the future as sellers or the present as buyers? If we examine the current roster, it’s clear they’re nowhere close to competing for a Stanley Cup or going deep into the postseason. They need at least two more scoring threats and have to solidify their goaltending.

The Philly fans don’t want to hear it, but by being sellers, they could ensure that they’ll contend for years to come. For bettors, the Flyers are 7th in the league, with 6.13 units won. The number gets better when Philadelphia is on the road with a 16-13 record, but because they’re a road dog most of the time, they’ve put away 7.39 units of profit, making them the most profitable road team in the NHL. Let’s switch our NHL betting analysis over to the Washington Capitals. 

Capitals Will Be Active At Deadline

If we’re being honest, the Washington Capitals are not Stanley Cup contenders. They are closer to being one of the worst teams in the league than they are to a playoff spot. GM Brian MacLellan needs to find a balance between adding for the future while appeasing fans who see Washington just six points out of a playoff spot. The Caps have dropped 10 of their last 15 games after allowing eight goals in their recent 8-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

It’s a real possibility that veterans Max Pacioretty and Anthony Mantha will be dealt at the deadline, along with goaltender Charlie Lindgren (12–9-5), who has a year left on his current deal. Washington continues to return a profit for bettors, with 1.67 units won. At home, the Capitals are 15-14 (+1.19 units). We conclude our Flyers vs. Capitals odds preview with our official selection. 

Keep Going Back To The Well

The Philadelphia Flyers have put up six goals by themselves against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In those games we’ve seen an average of 10.5 goals, adding to the Flyers run of five overs in the last seven games. That’s not great news for the Capitals who have allowed 17 goals in their last four games (4.25 goals per game). Those games have averaged 8.25 goals per game. Nothing about either team’s recent form inspires us to bet the under, making our official selection over six in what should be one of the most entertaining and meaningful NHL games tonight.