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The Philadelphia Flyers (28-33-8) take on the Washington Capitals (45-15-8) Thursday. Puck drop from Capital One Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Flyers vs. Capitals odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Caps lead 3-0 with 4-3, 6-3 and 4-1 victories
The Flyers have been shut out in 2 straight games with a 5-0 loss to Carolina Saturday and a 2-0 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday. They have scored 1 or fewer goals in 5 of 7 games. Star RW Travis Konecny hasn’t scored a goal since Feb. 8, and rookie winger Matvei Michkov is on a 6-game goalless drought. The Flyers are just 2-7-1 in their last 10.
The Caps have won 2 straight after a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday. LW Alex Ovechkin didn’t have to do much as he had an assist and just 1 SOG, and he remains 7 goals from tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. RW Tom Wilson netted his 30th goal Tuesday.
From BetMGM Sportsbook:
Ovechkin goal:
Anytime goal +100; First goal: +750, Last goal: +750
Ovechkin to top Gretzky with his 895th goal this season:
Yes: -145, No: +115
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Flyers at Capitals odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:20 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Flyers +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Capitals -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Flyers +1.5 (-120) | Capitals -1.5 (+100)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -120 | U: +100)
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Flyers at Capitals projected goalies
Sam Ersson (19-13-4, 3.02 GAA, .886 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Charlie Lindgren (15-11-3, 2.65 GAA, .899 SV%, 1 SO)
Ersson has allowed 3+ goals in all 5 starts this month. He lost 5-0 to Carolina Saturday, allowing 5 goals on 30 shots. He faced Washington once this year, suffering a similar fate, allowing 4 goals on 29 shots.
Chuckie Sideburns lost 3-0 to the LA Kings Thursday, stopping 24 of 27 fired his way. He’s still 2-1-0 with a 2.28 GAA and .908 SV% in 3 March starts. He’s 2-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .900 SV% against Philadelphia this season.
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Flyers at Capitals picks and predictions
Prediction
Capitals 5, Flyers 1
Moneyline
There’s no bet on the ML here as this is a tail of 2 teams going in different directions, and Washington is priced out at -250.
You should take ALEX OVECHKIN ANYTIME GOAL (+100). He’s scoring Thursday. This Flyers team looks cooked, and he has scored in 2 of 3 games against the Flyers this year. He scored in 2 of 3 against them last year.
That also means this is your best chance to take Ovechkin to top Gretzky with his 895th goal this season: Yes (-145). The price went from -225 to -145 after he failed to score in the last game. The Caps are so far ahead of everyone in the standings, their sole focus will be on feeding Ovi. He needs 8 goals in 14 games, and if he stays healthy, there’s no reason he shouldn’t do it this year.
Puck line/Against the spread
CAPITALS -1.5 (+100) feels like free money here. They’re 22-7-6 at home and have outscored the Flyers 14-7 in 3 games thus far. The Caps are 5-1-0 in their last 6 games, and all 5 of those W’s were by multiple goals.
Over/Under
This is my least-favorite bet of the bunch, but I’ll LEAN OVER 5.5 (-120). This is predicated on the Flyers actually being able to hit the back of the net with something other than their face. The Caps have 4+ goals in 5 of 6 games and should carry this one just over the threshold.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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