The Washington Capitals (21-6-2) travel to face off against the Dallas Stars (18-11-0) on Monday, December 16th. This game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas and televised on ESPN+. Both the Capitals and Stars will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 ET.

Capitals vs Stars

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals now sit at 21-6-2 this season. Washington was the underdog on the puck line, and the total was set at 6 goals, resulting in a push.

After falling behind 1-0, the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. However, the Hurricanes scored three unanswered goals, including an empty-netter, to secure the win.

The Dallas Stars Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

After a 4-2 loss to the Panthers, the Stars’ record fell to 18-11-0. Dallas was the underdog on the puck line, and the total of 6 goals fell just short of the 6.5 set before the game.

The Stars gave up the first two goals before rallying to tie it up in the second period. However, the Panthers scored twice in the third, including an empty-netter, to seal the win.

Washington Offense Breakdown

In their 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals scored twice in the first period. Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime followed with his 2nd goal. The Capitals registered 21 shots on goal.

Washington recorded 15 giveaways and 3 assists. Dylan Strome picked up his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s goal, and John Carlson added his 7th assist. Nic Dowd also contributed with his 2nd assist of the season.

Stars Offense Breakdown

Dallas took 25 shots on goal in their 4-2 loss to the Panthers, but only found the net twice. Evgenii Dadonov scored his second goal of the season on a power play, while Matt Duchene added his seventh goal. Duchene also picked up his eighth assist.

The Stars were held scoreless in the first period before scoring twice in the second. They finished the game with 32 giveaways.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals gave up the first goal of the game and three more after taking a 2-1 lead, including an empty-netter with 9 seconds left. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but Washington’s defense recorded just 2 takeaways and 20 hits.

Dallas Team Defense

Dallas’ defense gave up the first goal of the game and two more in the 3rd period, including an empty-netter with 1:00 left. Casey DeSmith made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%.

Capitals vs Stars Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Washington has an puck line mark of 9-1. Their straight up record in these matchups was 10-0 while averaging 4 goals per game.
• The Stars are 3-2 puck line in their last home games and 4-1 straight-up.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Stars have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.
• As the betting favorite, the Capitals have an puck line record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.

Capitals vs Stars Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Stars to secure a victory over the Capitals at home. With the moneyline currently set at -148, I’m locking in my bet on the Stars straight-up.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Capitals to cover. Even if the Stars win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Capitals should cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 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.