The St. Louis Blues (21-19-2) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (21-15-6) on Thursday, January 18th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on ESPN+. The Capitals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blues are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Flyers. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Blues vs Capitals

The St. Louis Blues Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

So far this season, the Blues have an overall record of 21-19-2, which puts them in 6th place in the Central Division and 12th in the Western Conference. When playing against other teams in the West, St. Louis has gone 12-14, and they have a record of 7-10 against divisional opponents. On the road, the Blues have gone 8-11-1.

Over their last ten games, St. Louis has gone 5-5, and they have gone 2-3 over their last five games. As the underdog, the Blues have gone 16-12-2 this season, and they have been the underdog in 30 of their 42 games.

On the season, the Blues have an average scoring margin of -.4 goals per game and have gone 23-19 against the puck line. As the underdog, St. Louis has a puck line mark of 19-11, including winning their last two games as the underdog.

So far, the Blues have 13 wins by multiple goals and have gone 7-3 against the puck line in their last ten games. On the road, St. Louis has a puck line record of 9-11, and their average scoring margin away from home is -.8 goals per game.

The Blues are looking to bounce back from a 4-2 loss at home to the Flyers. The first period saw the Blues being held without a goal, but they turned things around offensively by scoring one time in the second period and one goal in the third. St. Louis’ one power-play goals contributed to their total of 2 goals. Their offensive performance came with 30 shots on goal and nine giveaways.

St. Louis was favored by -1.5 giving them a loss vs. the puck line. The game finished with a 6 goals which resulted an a push on the over/under.

The Washington Capitals Are Coming Off A Win

At home this season, the Capitals have gone 12-7-4 and have won two straight games on their home ice. In the Eastern Conference, Washington is currently in 10th place and fifth in the Metropolitan Division. Overall, the Capitals have a record of 21-15-6 and have gone 4-6 in their last ten games.

So far this year, the Capitals have been favored in 13 of their 42 games and have gone 10-1-2 as the favorite. Against other Eastern Conference teams, Washington has gone 12-13.

Washington has gone 5-5 vs. the puck line in their last ten home games, and they have gone 10-13 vs. the puck line at home this year. So far, the Capitals have an average scoring margin of -.4 goals per game at home.

So far, Washington has gone 19-23 vs. the puck line, and they have gone 3-10 vs. the puck line when favored. The Capitals have gone 13-8 vs. the puck line in their last 21 games as the favorite.

In their previous game, the Capitals hosted the Ducks and game away with a 2-0 win. In the 3rd period, the Capitals found the net one time against the Ducks after their one goal in the first period. All two goals came at even strength. They finished with 28 shots on goal and had 8 turnovers.

Washington came in as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage and, as a result, recorded a win against the puck line. The game finished below the over/under line of 6 with a combined total of 2 goals.

St. Louis Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Blues come into the game at 2.8 goals per contest placing 28th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 26th position in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Blues offense is 31st in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 4th in the NHL.

The Blues’ over/under record this season is 15-22-5. For the season, they have had 24 games that surpassed this game’s over/under line of 5.5. Overall, their games are averaging6.1 goals per game.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

When looking at their offense, the Capitals have an average of 2.3 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 31st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 30th in the league. Coming into the game, the Capitals have a 6-4 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 15-11.

The Capitals’ over/under record this season is 15-26-1. For the season, they have had 25 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 5.5. Overall, their games are averaging 5.4 goals per game.

St. Louis Team Defense

Defensively, the Blues are currently 10th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 32 shots per game against St. Louis. They also are 24th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.

Washington Team Defense

The Capitals defense is currently 18th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 30.8 shots per game against Washington. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 11th with 3 shutouts.

Blues vs Capitals Trends

• The Blues are 2-1 puck line in their three last road games and 2-1 straight-up.
• In their last five home games, Washington has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 3. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-2 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
• The last ten games that Washington was the underdog, they have an puck line mark of 5-5 while going 3-7 straight up.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Blues have a straight up record of 4-6. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 3-7.

Blues vs Capitals Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Capitals to defeat the Blues while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at -118, I’m placing a wager on the Capitals to win outright.

When it comes to my suggested pick for the puck line, I’d advise taking the Blues to cover. Even in the event of a Capitals victory, this matchup is likely to remain closely contested, and the Blues should cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.