Capitals vs. Devils Pick
Will the red-hot Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals take down the host New Jersey Devils Friday night? Game time is 7PM EST.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Capitals are a -155 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Devils are a +135 underdog and the over-under is set at 5.5 goals.
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Washington comes in with a 2-1-1 record following a 3-2 home loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. New Jersey is 3-0-0 after winning 6-3 at Toronto Wednesday. The Capitals won three of four meetings last year and the over-under went 2-2.
On Wednesday, Washington received goals from Christian Djoos and Ovechkin in the loss. For Ovechkin, it was his NHL-leading eighth goal in only four games. Djoos added an assist on the Ovechkin tally. Braden Holtby made 33 saves and will likely be back in goal tonight.
The Devils got two goals each from Miles Wood and Pavel Zacha in the victory over the Maple Leafs. Blake Coleman and Brian Gibbons each scored one goal. Will Butcher and Adam Henrique both recorded two assists. Cory Schneider had 47 saves and is expected to start versus the Capitals.
Washington will not be in the best of moods after it lost at home against the Penguins, not following through on the revenge narrative against the team that eliminated the Caps from the postseason last year. Taking it out on the Devils is the next-best option and with Ovechkin playing at an astronomical level in the offensive zone, it’s difficult to envision the hosts keeping up.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON CAPITALS -155