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The Washington Capitals (43-14-8) visit the LA Kings (34-20-9) Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Capitals vs. Kings odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Capitals lead 1-0
Washington won the first meeting 3-1 as a -159 favorite at Capital One Arena in D.C., with the Under (5.5) hitting Dec. 22. C Aliaksei Protas had 2 goals and G Logan Thompson stopped 25 of the 26 shots. Only Los Angeles LW Kevin Fiala was able to break through for a power-play goal.
The Caps won the first stop of a 3-game California road trip Tuesday, topping the Anaheim Ducks 7-4. Washington cashed as a -196 favorite with the Over (6) easily hitting. Protas recorded his first NHL hat trick and 4 other Capitals scored a goal apiece. Oddly enough, RW Alex Ovechkin did not have one of the goals. Ovi, who missed the Dec. 22 meeting vs. the Kings, is 8 goals shy of tying Wayne Gretzky’s NHL’s all-time record.
The Kings enter on a 3-game win streak, which followed a 5-game skid. The most recent outing was a 4-1 home victory as -190 favorites over the New York Islanders Tuesday. The Under (5.5) cashed and is 3-1 in the Kings’ past 4 games. D Vladislav Gavrikov, C Phillip Danault, RW Quinton Byfield and D Drew Doughty each scored a goal, while G Darcy Kuemper turned back 33 of 34 shots.
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Capitals at Kings odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:12 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Capitals +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Kings -130 (bet $130 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Capitals +1.5 (-250) | Kings -1.5 (+200)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: +100 | U: -120)
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Capitals at Kings projected goalies
Charlie Lindgren (15-10-3, 2.64 GAA, .899 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Darcy Kuemper (20-8-7, 2.29 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO)
In his last start, Lindgren allowed 2 goals on 32 shots in a 4-2 win against the Seattle Kraken Sunday. He is 2-0-0 with a 1.93 GAA and .918 SV% in March. He beat the Kings 2-1 in his only career appearance vs. them, stopping 38 of 39 shots at Crypto.com Arena during the 2023-24 season.
Kuemper has won back-to-back starts, allowing just a single goal in each of the outings. As mentioned, he had 33 saves on 34 shots in the 4-1 win over the Islanders Tuesday. Plus, he stopped 19 of 20 shots in a 2-1 OT home win vs. the St. Louis Blues Saturday. This will be his first appearance against his former organization this season.
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Capitals at Kings picks and predictions
Prediction
Capitals 3, Kings 2
Moneyline
The CAPITALS (+110) are worth a look as short underdogs on the road against the Kings (-130).
We have 2 red-hot teams. Something’s gotta give, but the Caps have been on an extended hot streak, winning 5 in a row, while erupting for 24 goals in the span, good for 4.8 goals per game (GPG). The Capitals are 5-0-1 in the past 6 games on the road, while going 9-1-2 in the previous 12 contests.
Puck line/Against the spread
The Capitals +1.5 (-250) will cost 2½ times the potential return if you’re unable to pick Washington straight up and prefer a little bit of insurance instead. That’s way too expensive, though.
AVOID.
Over/Under
UNDER (-120) is worth a look as we have 2 goaltenders playing pretty well lately.
While the Over is 3-1-1 in the past 5 games for the Caps, with the offense going for 4.8 GPG in the span, Kuemper has coughed up just 2 total goals in the past 2 starts. Washington will have difficulty solving him.
For the Kings, the total has gone Under in 3 of the past 4 games. Don’t get carried away, but a half-unit play is warranted here.
Alex Ovechkin anytime goal: +140
Now, I’m not suggesting to bet this. Just mentioning it if you’re wondering or interested.
Ovechkin has 12 goals in 27 career regular-season games vs. the Kings.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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