NHL Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals

The Carolina Hurricanes (20-10-1) and Washington Capitals (21-8-2) will battle for the second time this year when they compete on Friday, December 20 at 7:00 PM ET at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The NHL betting odds reveal the Hurricanes as favorites with a moneyline at -140.

Carolina Hurricanes Betting Preview

The Hurricanes have won their last two games, both of which were at home. Their latest victory was a 4-0 shutout over the New York Islanders, marking their second game in a row tallying four goals.

Sebastian Aho scored his ninth goal of the season in this matchup, while Shayne Gostisbehere added two assists. The Hurricanes had a commanding four-goal lead heading into the third period, giving them the freedom to coast.

They fired off 29 shots and allowed the Islanders to get off 32. That is a lot of shots to defend against, but Pyotr Kocherkov did a phenomenal job at protecting the goal.

The Hurricanes are getting 3.61 goals on 32.0 shots a game. Their defense has given up 2.77 goals on 25.4 shots per game. One key stat they have better than the Capitals is the power play percentage, with theirs at 27.3 compared to the Capitals’ 20.8.

Washington Capitals Betting Preview

The Capitals have lost their previous two games, but were on the road in those performances. They are coming off of a 3-2 defeat against the Chicago Black Hawks, which makes their second game in a row allowing three goals.

This was an embarrassing defeat to say the least, as the Capitals had a two-goal lead heading into the third period. Then, they allowed the Black Hawks to go on a 3-0 run to end it. These types of situations should not happen, especially for a quality team like the Capitals.

The Capitals only fired off 22 shots and allowed the Black Hawks to make 23 shot attempts. They will need to be more aggressive on the offensive end if they want to stay a step ahead of the Hurricanes.

The Capitals have put up 3.81 goals and 29.0 shots per matchup. Defensively they are allowing their opponents to 2.68 goals and 27.3 shots per game. This ratio is great, but has been in question lately with recent losses.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The NHL betting odds in the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals matchup has been offered by MyBookie. The Hurricanes are slightly favored, but their road record has not been as appealing and it could show here.

The Hurricanes are 7-6-1 in away performances, while the Capitals are 9-4-2 at home. Normally, the Capitals would be appealing here, but the Hurricanes have already defeated them once this season and they have great momentum coming in.

Final Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -140