The Washington Capitals (36-26-9) travel to face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs (40-22-9) on Thursday, March 28th. This game will be played at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and televised on ESPN+. The Capitals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Maple Leafs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Devils. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Capitals vs Maple Leafs

The Washington Capitals Are Coming Off A Win

Through 71 games, the Capitals are 8th in the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 36-26-9. In the Metropolitan Division, Washington is in 4th place. Over their last three games, the Capitals have won all three and are on a three-game win streak. On the road this season, Washington has gone 16-15-4.

As the underdog, the Capitals have gone 22-23-7 this season and have won two straight games when they are the underdog. Against Eastern Conference teams, Washington has gone 21-18 this season.

Washington enters the game with a puck line record of 35-36, including a road puck line mark of 17-18. So far this season, the Capitals have 18 road losses by more than one goal.

Over their last ten games, the Capitals have gone 6-4 against the puck line, and their average scoring margin on the road is -.7 goals per game. In their last three road games, Washington’s puck line record is 3-0.

The Capitals most recently faced the Red Wings at home and achieved a 4-3 win. In the first period, the Capitals struggled to find the net on offense, but they turned things around with one time in the second period and two goals in the third. All four goals came at even strength. They finished with 30 shots on goal and had 9 turnovers.

Washington couldn’t cover the puck line despite the straight-up win, as they entered the game as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage. The combined total of 7 goals exceeded the over/under line, which was set at 6 goals for the game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

At home this season, the Maple Leafs have gone 19-13-3 and have been favored in 57 of their 71 games. In the Eastern Conference, Toronto is in 5th place and 3rd in the Atlantic Division. Over their last ten games, the Maple Leafs have gone 5-5 and have lost two straight games. So far this year, Toronto is 40-22-9.

Against other teams in the East, the Maple Leafs have gone 16-23 and have a record of 34-16-7 when favored. Over their last five games, Toronto is 2-3, and they have gone 1-2 in their last three games. For the season, the Maple Leafs have 89 points.

At home, the Maple Leafs have a puck line record of 12-23 and an average scoring margin of +.4 goals per game. Overall, Toronto has gone 27-44 vs. the puck line, including 22 wins by multiple goals.

Over their last ten home games, the Leafs have a puck line record of 4-6. So far, they have been favored in 57 games and have a puck line mark of 17-40 in those contests.

After suffering a 6-3 loss at home to the Devils, the Maple Leafs are looking to bounce back today. In the offensive department, the Maple Leafs notched one goal during the first period and two times in the second period. All three goals came at even strength. They finished with 45 shots on goal and had 19 turnovers.

Toronto took a loss against the puck line, going into the game as the favorites with a -1.5-point advantage. The over/under line going into the game was 6.5 goals, which the teams surpassed with their combined 9 goals.

Washington Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Capitals come in averaging 2.7 goals per game this season, which is 27th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 31st in the league. Coming into the game, the Capitals have a 10-6 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 26-20.

The Capitals’ over/under record this season is 33-35-3. For the season, they have had 41 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games are averaging 5.9 goals per game.

Maple Leafs Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Maple Leafs are scoring an 3.6 goals per game this season, ranking 3rd in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 7th in the league. This season, the Maple Leafs are 21-11 when getting more shots on goal than their opponents. And in games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 17-9 record.

So far, the Maple Leafs have an over/under record of 39-30-2. Coming into the game, they have played 40 games that went beyond the 6.5 over/under line. Their games, on average, had 6.9 goals per game.

Washington Team Defense

The Capitals defense is currently 15th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 30.4 shots per game against Washington. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 6th with 6 shutouts.

Toronto Team Defense

Defensively, the Maple Leafs are currently 20th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.8 shots per game against Toronto. They also are 15th in shutouts, coming in with 4 shutouts.

Capitals vs Maple Leafs Trends

• The Capitals are 3-2 puck line in their last road games and 3-2 straight-up.
• Although Toronto has a straight up record of 2-3 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 2-3. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Toronto has an puck line mark of 3-0 while going 1-2 straight up.
• Although the Capitals have a strong straight up record in their last three games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the puck line going 1-2.

Capitals vs Maple Leafs Prediction

If you’re considering a direct moneyline bet, the Maple Leafs is the choice to make. However, with a payout of -181, you might want to use this bet as a building block for a parlay.

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

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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

* 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.