The Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers meet for Game 1 of their 1st-round Eastern Conference playoff series Tuesday at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we look at the Capitals vs. Panthers odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Capitals dropped 4 straight games to close out the regular season, and the team managed a total of just 4 goals in their final 3 outings. In addition, Washington allowed a total of 16 goals during that 4-game skid, and that’s a huge area of concern.
The Panthers claimed the President’s Trophy, awarded to the team with the most points during the regular season. Florida had a franchise-best 122 points. They won the regular-season title despite going 1-3 in the final 4 games, yielding a total of 22 goals during the span.
Capitals at Panthers 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 6:55 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Capitals +175 (bet $100 to win $175) | Panthers -220 (bet $220 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Capitals +1.5 (-140) | Panthers -1.5 (+112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -122 | U: -102)
Capitals at Panthers projected goalies
Ilya Samsonov (23-12-5, 3.02 GAA, .896 SV%, 3 SO – regular season) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (39-7-3, 2.67 GAA, .913 SV%, 3 SO – regular season)
Samsonov managed to win 14 of his 23 games on the road this season, going 14-6-3 with a 3.00 GAA, .904 SV% and 2 shutouts away from the nation’s capital. He was 1-1-0 with a 4.54 GAA and .879 SV% in 2 starts vs. Florida in the regular season.
Bobrovsky enjoyed the home cooking quite a bit this season, producing a stellar 26-3-0 record, 2.57 GAA and .918 SV% with 2 shutouts across 32 starts and 1 relief appearance in South Florida. He was 1-1-0 with a 3.36 GAA and .887 SV% in 2 appearances vs. Washington this season.
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Capitals at Panthers picks and predictions
Prediction
Panthers 5, Capitals 4
Money line
The Panthers (-220) will cost over two times your potential return, and that’s risky business against a team like the Capitals. Washington has plenty of experience in the postseason and could give Florida matchup problems at times.
PASS.
Against the spread
The CAPITALS +1.5 (-140) are worth playing lightly on the puck line.
Washington certainly has the tools to put plenty of pucks in the back of the net, although I feel the Panthers will eke out the win late. I am just not confident in Florida’s defense, as this is a team that has had success by overpowering teams with offense while lacking attention to detail on the defensive end of the ice.
Over/Under
OVER 6.5 (-122) is the best play on the board here.
Florida topped the charts with 4.1 goals per game, while also firing off 37.3 shots per game to lead the league in the regular season, too. The power-play hit at a 24.4% clip, too, good for 6th. Surprisingly, the penalty kill of the Panthers was just 16th at 79.5%, so there is an opportunity for the Caps if they can draw penalties.
The Over cashed in each of the three regular-season meetings this season, with a total of 25 goals, while going 8-0 in the previous eight in the series overall.
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