Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders Predictions, Game 4 Picks, Betting Tips 8/18/2020

Game: Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders

Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Location: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON

TV: NBCSN

Odds/Point Spread: Capitals (-105) Islanders (-105)

Total/Over-Under: 5

Semyon Varlamov and the New York Islanders play the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday in Game 4 of their series. New York leads the series 3-0.  Both teams open this game at -105. The over/under has been set at 5. The Capitals cover 56.9% of the time, having gone 37-28 SU. New York is covering 49.2% of the time, going 32-33 straight up.

The Capitals will need a bounce back game after taking a 2 - 1 defeat to the Islanders in Game 3. The Capitals had a below average offensive performance in the loss. While out there on the ice, they scored on 1 out of the 23 shots they looked to score on. They also had 2 power play chances and were able to net 1 goal out of those tries. Washington racked up a total of 10 penalty mins for this matchup. The Corsi for the Capitals was 43 and the Corsi against was 58 giving them a Corsi percentage of 42.6%. Their Fenwick sat at 28 and the Fenwick against was 42, which gave them a Fenwick percentage of 40.0%. They earned 22 face-off wins at even strength and lost 20 of the face-offs. Their offensive zone starts were rated at 34.5% and they had a PDO at even strength of 92.9 for this one. Concerning opponent stats, the New York Islanders earned 34 shots. They had 4 minutes in the box and they tallied 5 power play chances.

The Washington Capitals come into this matchup holding a record of 41 victories and 20 losses, which is good for 1st in the Metropolitan Division. During the year thus far, they have racked up a total of 236 goals which ranks them 3rd in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the NHL. Their goal differential is +24, which is good for 7th in the NHL. The Capitals have compiled a total of 90 points, which ranks them 5th in the NHL and 3rd in the Eastern Conference. Regarding shots at the opposition, they have compiled a total of 2,206 which ranks them 7th in the conference and 15th in the NHL. As a group, Washington has a total of 1,606 hits which means they have an average of 23.3 per contest. They have compiled a total of 754 blocks for this season. The man looking after the net for Washington is Braden Holtby from Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. He is 30 years old and has played a total of 2,743 minutes minding the goal for the season. Holtby is conceding 3.11 goals against average which ranks him 25th among Eastern Conference goaltenders and 53rd in the NHL. So far this season, he has allowed 142 goals. He holds a save % of .897 which ranks him 30th among Eastern Conference goaltenders.

Related: NHL Totals Betting: Expert Tips and Advice

In Game 3 New York wound up with a 57.4% Corsi rating. They ended up with that by earning a Corsi of 58 while they allowed a Corsi of 43. Their Fenwick percentage came in at 60.0% by notching a Fenwick of 42 and the Capitals ending the game with a 28 Fenwick at even strength. This Corsi rating tells us the kind of game New York played and we'd say it was a below average outing in all. Their PDO at even strength was 107.1 and their oZS percentage was 65.5%. The Islanders netted 2 goals out of the 34 shots on goal they tried. They had 5 power play opportunities in this one but weren't able to finish one of them with a goal. Regarding the opposition, the Capitals had 2 power play chances and came through by scoring 1 goal. New York gave way to 23 shots on goal and the Capitals earned a total of 10 minutes in the box.

The Islanders will be on the other side of the ice and for the year they sit with 35 wins and 23 defeats. When looking at goal differential, they rank 10th in the Eastern Conference and 19th in the NHL with -1. They have compiled a total of 189 goals for the year which ranks 13th in the Eastern Conference. New York has a save percentage as a team of .911 which currently has them sitting 8th in the NHL, meaning scoring chances may be limited. They have a team shooting percentage of 9.4% ranking them 11th in the conference. In goal for New York is Semyon Varlamov who is having an ok season by surrendering 2.62 goals against average and that ranks him 11th among Eastern Conference goaltenders and 18th in the NHL. In the 2,517 mins he has been on the ice this year, he has allowed 110 goals. He holds a save percentage of .914, which has him ranked 12th among Eastern Conference goaltenders and 26th in the NHL.

Related: How to Turn Hockey Bets into Big Profits

Who will win tonight's hockey game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Washington (-105)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here