The Carolina Hurricanes (20-10-1) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (21-8-2) on Friday, December 20th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on ESPN+. 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 Hurricanes. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Hurricanes vs Capitals

The Carolina Hurricanes Are Coming Off A Win

Carolina improved to 20-10-1 with a 4-2 win over the Capitals. The Hurricanes covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line.

The Hurricanes scored first, but the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. Carolina then scored three unanswered goals, including an empty-netter, to secure the victory.

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

After a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals now sit at 21-8-2. The game’s total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line, and Washington, as underdogs on the puck line, failed to cover.

Washington trailed 1-0 before tying it up with 0:44 left in the first period. They took the lead just 33 seconds later, but Carolina scored three unanswered goals to secure the win.

Carolina Offense Breakdown

Carolina fired 45 shots on goal in their 4-2 win over Washington. Dmitry Orlov scored twice, bringing his season total to three goals. Martin Necas added his sixth goal of the season and picked up two assists, his 12th coming on Orlov’s second goal.

Andrei Svechnikov netted his sixth goal, an empty-netter with 9 seconds left. The Hurricanes scored once in the first period, twice in the second, and added their final goal in the third.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense was held to just two goals in their 4-2 loss to Carolina. Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd. The Capitals took 21 shots on goal and recorded 15 giveaways.

Ovechkin’s goal came on a power play, with John Carlson earning his 7th assist and Dylan Strome picking up his 13th. Nic Dowd also contributed with his 2nd assist of the season.

Carolina Team Defense

Carolina’s defense gave up two late goals in the first period but locked things down after that, not allowing another goal. Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves with a 90.5% save percentage, and the Hurricanes’ defense added 7 takeaways and 10 hits.

Washington Team Defense

After taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, the Capitals’ defense struggled, giving up two goals in the second period and another in the third. The final goal was an empty-netter by the Hurricanes with just 9 seconds left. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but the defense finished with just 2 takeaways.

Hurricanes vs Capitals Trends

• Across the Hurricanes last ten road games, the team averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 3-7, while going 4-6 straight-up.
• In their last three games at home, the Capitals have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.
• Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Capitals have a straight up record of 7-3. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 9-1.
• Through their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Hurricanes have a good straight up record, but their puck line mark is just 2-3.

Hurricanes vs Capitals Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Capitals to defeat the Hurricanes while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at +119, I’m placing a wager on the Capitals to win outright.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Capitals winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Capitals straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet 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.

---

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.