The Florida Panthers (1-1) and Washington Capitals (1-1) face off Saturday in Game 3 of their 1st-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Puck drop from Capital One Arena is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we look at the Panthers vs. Capitals odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Panthers got back into the series with a 5-1 onslaught at home in Game 2 Thursday. C Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist to lead the charge. The Panthers are 0-for-6 with the man advantage in the series after they were fifth in the league on the power play.
The Caps are in a pickle with All-Star RW Tom Wilson questionable with a lower-body injury. Wilson left midway through the first period of Game 2 and didn’t return. LW Alex Ovechkin has just 2 assists in the series, but he has 9 shots on goal. He’ll need to carry the load in this one, and he had 50 points at home and 40 on the road this season.
Panthers at Capitals odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:40 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Panthers -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Capitals +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Against the spread (ATS): Panthers -1.5 (+112) | Capitals +1.5 (-140)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -140 | U: +112)
Panthers at Capitals projected goalies
Sergei Bobrovsky (39-7-3, 2.67 GAA, .913 SV%, 3 SO – regular season) vs. Vitek Vanecek (20-12-6, 2.67 GAA, .908 SV%, 4 SO – regular season)
Bobrovsky was thought to be one of the biggest question marks entering this series, but he was pretty solid in the first two games. He has stopped 60 of 64 shots with a .938 SV%. His numbers dipped a bit on the road with a 2.81 GAA and .903 SV% during the regular season – he posted a 2.57 GAA and .918 SV% at home.
Vanecek will likely be on a short leash after allowing 5 goals on 19 shots in Game 2. He has a 4.21 GAA and a .863 SV% in the series. His numbers were slightly worse at home this year, which means he won’t have much of an advantage on home ice.
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Panthers at Capitals picks and predictions
Prediction
Capitals 3, Panthers 2
Money line
A lot of this decision will hinge on whether Wilson can make it back. The Panthers are a high-scoring team, and the Caps will have to keep a lid on that in order to win.
The Caps have won 4 of the last 7 in the series, but they don’t have a great chance in the series if Wilson can’t make it back.
PASS for now, but if Wilson can go, CAPITALS (+155) is juicy.
Against the spread
There’s a solid price on Washington with a goal of insurance. Before these 2 games in the head-to-head series, the previous 5 were decided by a single goal.
If you’re picking the Caps to win, or if you don’t feel they have enough to get it done, CAPITALS +1.5 (-140) has a decent shot to cash.
Over/Under
The Under has hit in the first 2 games, and there’s some incentive for it to hit a third time at +112.
The Under is 5-0 in the last 5 Florida playoff games as the favorite. The Under is also 4-0-1 in the last five Washington games in the conference quarterfinals.
That’s enough trends for me to sign off on UNDER 6.5 (+112).
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