The Vancouver Canucks (34-12-6) and the Washington Capitals (23-20-7) meet Sunday afternoon at Capital One Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Canucks vs. Capitals odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Canucks lost 4-3 in OT against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday in the 3rd stop of a 5-game road trip. Now, they face the quick turnaround with the 2nd end of a back-to-back. Vancouver won on no rest last time against the Islanders, 5-2 on Jan. 9, and it is 3-2-1 in 6 tries this season when playing in the 2nd game on consecutive days.
The Capitals topped the Boston Bruins 3-0 behind Charlie Lindgren on Saturday afternoon in Boston. They lost on Super Bowl Sunday last season as heavy favorites against the San Jose Sharks, and Washington is still just 1-5-1 in the past 7 games despite the win over the B’s.
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Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last update at 7:39 a.m. ET.
Thatcher Demko (27-9-1, 2.47 GAA, .918 SV%, 5 SO) vs. Darcy Kuemper (11-12-2, 3.18 GAA, .894 SV%, 1 SO)
The All-Star Demko allowed 4 goals on 25 shots in a 4-0 loss against the Bruins Thursday in Boston, and he is just 1-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .878 SV% in 2 starts in January, both on the road. Despite the loss in Boston, he has won 11 of his past 12 starts against Eastern Conference teams.
The veteran Kuemper allowed 3 goals on 40 shots in a 4-2 loss in Florida on Thursday in his most recent start. His most recent win at home came Jan. 16 against the Anaheim Ducks, and he has won 2 of his past 3 assignments at Capital One Arena.
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Capitals 3, Canucks 2
The CAPITALS (+135) are worth a look at home as short ‘dogs. Both of these teams are playing on no rest, and we’re likely to get a choppy effort from both sides in this matinee action on Super Bowl Sunday.
The Caps might have finally found some momentum after a stunning shutout win in Boston on Saturday afternoon, while the Canucks (-160) were on the short end of an OT loss in the Motor City Saturday.
The Capitals +1.5 (-185) will cost you nearly 2 times your potential return if you want a little bit of insurance, and you just can’t bring yourself to play the home side straight up. As a standalone wager, risking that much on the Caps is not recommended, although as part of a multi-part parlay, it wouldn’t be the end of the world to toss Washington into the mix.
AVOID.
The UNDER 6 (-110) is the lean, as both teams might have some heavy legs in a matinee game while both are playing with no rest after Saturday afternoon contests.
The Under is 2-1 in the first 3 games on the road trip for Vancouver, while the total cashed in Washington’s game Saturday, perhaps the most complete game for the Caps in some time.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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