The Washington Capitals (21-7-2) travel to face off against the Chicago Blackhawks (10-19-2) on Tuesday, December 17th. This game will be played at United Center in Chicago and televised on ESPN+. The Blackhawks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Capitals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Hurricanes. Puck drop is set for 8:30 ET.

Capitals vs Blackhawks

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Washington’s 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes moved their record to 21-7-2. The Capitals held a 2-1 lead after the first period, but the Hurricanes scored three unanswered goals, including an empty-netter, to secure the win.

The total for the game was set at 6 goals, and the combined score hit that number exactly. Washington, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. Both of the Capitals’ goals came in the first period, with Alex Ovechkin scoring at 19:16 and Brandon Duhaime adding another at 19:49.

The Chicago Blackhawks Are Coming Off A Win

With a 4-2 win over the Ducks, the Blackhawks improved to 10-19-2 this season. Chicago covered the puck line as underdogs, and the total of 6 goals fell short of the pre-game line of 6.5.

All four of Chicago’s goals came from different players, and they held the Ducks scoreless until the third period. The Blackhawks’ defense faced 39 shots, but Arvid Söderblom made 37 saves to help secure the win.

Washington Offense Breakdown

Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime followed with his 2nd goal. Ovechkin took 5 shots on goal, and Duhaime had 3. Nic Dowd picked up his 2nd assist of the year on Duhaime’s goal, while Dylan Strome recorded his 13th assist, and John Carlson added his 7th.

The Capitals took 21 shots on goal but were held scoreless after the first period. They had 15 offensive giveaways.

Blackhawks Offense Breakdown

Chicago’s offense netted four goals in their latest game against Anaheim, with Ryan Donato scoring his 7th of the season. Seth Jones added his second goal, while Isaak Phillips and Teuvo Teravainen also found the net. Teravainen’s goal came on a power play, as did Jones’.

Connor Bedard contributed with two assists, bringing his total to nine for the season. The Blackhawks took 29 shots on goal and recorded 12 giveaways.

Washington Team Defense

Washington’s defense gave up the first goal just 5:59 into the game, and after taking a 2-1 lead, they allowed three unanswered goals, including two in the 2nd period and an empty-netter with 9 seconds left in the 3rd. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but the Capitals’ defense finished with only 2 takeaways, and they were outshot 44-21.

Chicago Team Defense

Arvid Söderblom made 38 saves with a 95% save percentage, helping the Blackhawks to a 4-2 win over the Ducks. Chicago’s defense also recorded 6 takeaways and 5 hits. The Blackhawks led 3-0 heading into the 3rd period, but gave up two late goals, including one with just 4 seconds left.

Capitals vs Blackhawks Trends

• Through their last ten road games, Washington has an puck line record of just 8-2. However, their overall record was 9-1 while averaging 4 goals per game.
• In their last three games at home, the Blackhawks have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 3 goals per game in these contests.
• As the betting underdog, the Blackhawks have an puck line mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Chicago posted a straight up mark of 3-7 in these matchups.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Capitals have a strong straight up record of 3-0. In addition, their puck line record was 2-1 in these scenarios.

Capitals vs Blackhawks Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Blackhawks to pick up on a win over the Capitals at home. With the moneyline sitting at +149, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Blackhawks straight-up.

Our projections have the Blackhawks pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Blackhawks, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down 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.