The Carolina Hurricanes (21-13-4) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (18-12-6) on Friday, January 5th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington. The Hurricanes are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Capitals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Devils. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals

The Carolina Hurricanes Are Coming Off A Win

For the season, the Hurricanes currently hold an overall record of 21-13-4. On the road, Carolina has gone 11-10-1 and they are 10-3-3 at home. In the Eastern Metropolitan division, they are currently 2nd, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 4th. Carolina’s average scoring margin this season is +.3, leading to an overall puck line record of 14-24. At their home arena, they have a scoring margin of +.6, while on the road, it is +.1.

Facing the Rangers in their last game, the Hurricanes won by a score of 6-1. In every single period, the Hurricanes’ offense scored a goal against the Rangers. Of Carolina’s six goals, two came while in power play. They ended the game with 27 shots on goal and had zero giveaways.

Entering the game as the underdog, Carolina came away with a victory against the puck line. The over/under line going into the game was 6 goals, which the teams surpassed with their combined 7 goals.

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

For the season, the Capitals currently hold an overall record of 18-12-6. On the road, Washington has gone 9-7-2 and they are 9-5-4 at home. In the Eastern Metropolitan division, they are currently 6th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 10th. This season, Washington’s average scoring margin is -0.6, which has their puck line record at 15-21. Their average home scoring margin is -0.4, and in road games, it stands at -0.7.

The Capitals aim to bounce back following their 6-3 loss at home to the Devils. Scoring-wise, the Capitals put up one goal during the first period and two times in the second period. Washington’s two power-play goals contributed to their total of 3 goals. Their offensive performance came with 26 shots on goal and 18 giveaways.

Coming in as the underdog, Washington not only lost straight-up but also failed to cover the puck line. The teams surpassed the over/under line, which was set at 6.5 goals, with a combined total of 9 goals.

Carolina Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Hurricanes come in averaging 3.4 goals per game this season, which is 6th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 2nd in the league. Coming into the game, the Hurricanes have a 17-10 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 4-1.

For the season, the over/under record of the Hurricanes’ stands at 19-18-1. They have had 20 games during the season that exceeded the 6 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6.5 goals per game.

Washington Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Capitals are scoring an 2.4 goals per game this season, ranking 31st in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 29th in the league. Washington’s offense is currently ranked 30th in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 29th in the league.

This season, the Capitals’ have an over/under record of 13-22-1. Throughout the season, they have played 21 games that did not exceed the 6 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 5.4 goals per game.

Carolina Team Defense

Defensively, the Hurricanes come into the season ranked 31st in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 25.8 shots per game against Carolina. For the season, they are ranked 13th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals are currently 19th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.9 shots per game against Washington. They also are 20th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.

Hurricanes vs Capitals Trends

• In their last three road games, Carolina has averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 1. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
• In their last three games at home, the Capitals have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Washington has an puck line mark of 2-3 while going 1-4 straight up.
• In their last five contests as the favorite, Carolina has a poor record vs the puck line going 2-3. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-2.

Hurricanes vs Capitals Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Capitals to pick up on a win over the Hurricanes at home. With the moneyline sitting at +142, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Capitals straight-up.

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

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering 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.