Panthers vs Capitals Game Predictions
Eastern Conference Foes Clash on Wednesday Night
Panthers vs Capitals Game Predictions
Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals have had a rough start to the season but will look to earn two points on home ice Wednesday as the Florida Panthers skate into the Nation’s Capital. Let’s analyze and break down some key factors for this Eastern Conference showdown in this betting preview of Panthers vs Capitals Game Predictions for Wednesday night.
Panthers vs Capitals 
Day/Time:
Location: Capitol One Arena, Washington, District of Columbia
Records: Panthers (6-4-1)/Capitals (5-4-1)
Streaming: TNT/MAX/Live Sports Stream
Florida Finding Their Footing?
The Florida Panthers have weathered the storm of starting a season after a big playoff run and without some key pieces in the lineup, most notably defensemen Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad, who’ve missed all of the season up to this point, and forward Sam Bennett, who suffered a lower-body injury last Monday and has been declared week-to-week by Head Coach Paul Maurice days ago.
The Cats have won four of their last six hockey games, earning points in five of those contests after a crazy comeback led to a 5-4 overtime win on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Florida hopped out to a big 3-0 lead early in the first period, before the Jackets fired back with a quick pair of goals to wrap up the period, then in the second, a Power-Play goal by Kirill Marchenko tied the contest.
Both clubs would score in the third period before winger Carter Verhaeghe netted the game-winner 86 seconds into overtime to give Florida the victory.
Shutdown in the Capital?
The Washington Capitals are playing .500 hockey right now and it’s largely in part to new head coach Spencer Carberry, who is making the most out of an again, and underwhelming roster. Superstar Alex Ovechkin might finally show signs of aging at 38 years old.
The salt-and-pepper haired scorer has just two goals and six assists through ten games. In their last contest, a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, the Caps relied on a pair of early first period goals from veteran forward Tom Wilson and Sonny Milano, and thanks to 34 saves from backup goalie Charlie Lindgren, Washington won their fourth game in the last five contests, but when you look at the competition they have beaten thus far, only New Jersey looks to be a playoff team, while clubs like San Jose and Calgary have gotten off to rough season starts of their own.
The Caps don’t look like a team that can compete for a playoff spot this season, even this early in the campaign. They don’t look like the usual Washington team that can string together big wins at the right time and make changes in the second half to prepare for a postseason run. For now, things are going well, but the regression will hit soon for the Caps, and it could be a rough rest of the year for the D.C club.
Panthers at Capitals Betting Odds
Sportsbooks have the visiting Florida Panthers NHL betting lines to win as moderate favorites against the hosting Washington Capitals on Wednesday night, priced in the range around -130 to -140. The Capitals have been underdogs in six games this season, losing four of them, while the Panthers are favorites for the fourth consecutive game and their sixth contest this season.
Concluding the Panthers vs Capitals Game Predictions Betting Preview: The total for this contest is set at 6.5 goals shaded slightly to the Under around the pick’em range between -105 to -115. The Panthers have been trending Under the total in four of their last six games, despite a 7-2 mark to the Over in the last nine games played in Washington. The Capitals have gone Under the total in five straight home games and six of their last seven contests overall.
Check out all the updated Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals NHL schedule, NHL Results, standings, lineups, futures odds, NHL team stats, recent news, and betting tips, right here at Point Spreads.
