The Wells Fargo Center will be hosting an intriguing showdown as the Philadelphia Flyers prepare to face the visiting Washington Capitals. This divisional matchup gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 8 and it is being televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers Odds
Washington (-130) is favored over Philadelphia (+110), and oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 7 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -105 for the over and -115 for the under.
Washington is 30-14 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 8.8 units this season. 28 of its outings have gone over the total, while 15 have gone under and none have pushed. The Caps are 17-6 SU as a road team in 2019-20.
Washington has converted on 21.8 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, it has the fourth-best penalty kill in the league, and it has successfully killed off 83.4 percent of all penalties.
For the team as a whole, Washington has been penalized 4.3 times per game overall this season, and 5.8 per game over its last five road outings. The team’s had to kill penalties 16.0 minutes per game over their last five road outings.
Boasting a .902 save percentage and 26.3 saves per game, Braden Holtby (18-12-4) has been the top option in goal for Washington this season. If it chooses to rest him, however, head coach Todd Reirden might turn to Ilya Samsonov (12-4-1), who has a .921 save percentage and 2.24 goals against average this year.
The visiting Capitals will be led by John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. Carlson (54 points) has tallied 13 goals and 41 assists, and has recorded two or more points 16 times. Ovechkin has 26 goals and 16 assists to his credit (and has notched a point in 26 games).
Over on the other bench, Philadelphia is 22-21 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 1.3 units this season. 22 of its contests have gone over the total, while 19 have gone under and just one has pushed. It’s 13-6 SU at home this year.
Philadelphia has converted on 19.2 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 13th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.3 percent of all opponent power plays.
The Flyers have been penalized only 3.3 times per game this season, and 4.6 per game over their last five at home. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays just 7.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Carter Hart (21.7 saves per game) has been the top option in the crease for Philadelphia. Hart has 13 wins, 16 losses, and three overtime losses and has registered a poor .905 save percentage and 2.61 goals against average this season.
Travis Konecny (13 goals, 24 assists) will pace the attack for the Flyers.
Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers Free Picks
NHL Pick: SU Winner – Flyers, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- Washington is 3-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while Philadelphia is 4-5 in shootouts.
- Philadelphia has allowed 3.1 goals per game this season, but is giving up 5.3 goals per matchup in its last four contests (the team is 0-4 SU over that stretch).
- Washington skaters have accounted for the league’s eighth-most hits per game (24.0).
