Capitals vs Panthers Odds: Game 2

Capitals Playing With House Money

The Washington Capitals stunned the Florida Panthers 4-2 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference series. Still, the Capitals vs Panthers odds for Game 2 are pretty one-sided.

The saying goes that a playoff series doesn’t really start until a team loses a home game. So, the fact that the heavily favored Panthers dropped the opening game, at home, puts a lot of pressure on Florida to bounce back and take Game 2.

Washington’s Vitek Vanecek played great on Tuesday, saving 30 of the 32 shots he faced.  However, he’ll probably face a much more locked-in Panthers team on Thursday night.

Considering that Florida lost just seven home games all regular season, expect the Panthers to even up this series based on desperation alone. Plus, the Capitals know they had to get at least one of the first two games and they already got the job done.

Panthers Will Be Hungry

Throughout the year, the best Florida Panthers betting tips would simply be to take them on the puckline whenever possible, especially at home. That advice still holds and it’s good to remember with Florida in the surprising position of being down in their first-round series with the Washington Capitals. Elite teams like the Panthers just don’t lose back-to-back home games to start a series.

The Capitals vs Panthers odds still heavily favor Florida for the series, which makes sense because the Panthers are the better team and they’re loaded with offensive talent. Don’t let one game — in which Florida led 2-1 after two periods — fool you into forgetting how dominant the Panthers were all season.

Capitals Can Play Loose

All the underdog needs to do in a playoff series is steal one of the first two games in order to grab home-ice advantage. Since the Washington Capitals did that in Game 1, they can kind of play with house money in Game 2, knowing that the worst-case scenario is being tied at one game apiece when the series shifts to Washington, D.C.

Of course, the Washington Capitals betting odds for this game, and the series, are still heavily stacked against Peter Laviolette’s team. But, with Vanecek playing well and with all of Washington’s playoff experience and continuity, you cannot count the Capitals out in this game. It’s a very freeing thing when a team can play fast and loose knowing that they have the edge in the series as currently constituted.

Capitals vs Panthers Game 2 Information

• Game: Washington Capitals (1-0) at Florida Panthers (0-1)
• Location: FLA Live Arena, Miami
• Day/Time: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Television: TBS

Capitals vs Panthers Head-to-Head

The Florida Panthers edged the Washington Capitals in the three-game season series in 2021-22. Florida won two of the three matchups, all of which were decided by one goal. So, these teams played each other very evenly, although their most recent meeting before the postseason was back in November.

Capitals vs Panthers Prediction

The Capitals vs Panthers odds are predicting a big Florida rebound in Game 2, which is probably the most likely scenario based on how these series tend to flow. The Panthers are just too explosive to keep down, especially after a surprisingly poor offensive showing from them in Game 1. The smart money is on Florida to get out to a quick lead and keep the Washington Capitals from building any momentum.

But, there isn’t great value on the Panthers unless you take them to win by multiple goals on the puckline. Considering how explosive the Panthers are — and how badly they need to win Game 2 — look for Florida to cruise and help the over hit as well. Washington will play hard, but the Capitals know they don’t need to expend a ton of energy in this game if they face an early multi-goal deficit because they have the home-ice edge going forward.