Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals Prediction, 1/5/2024 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals

Date: Friday, January 5, 2024

Location: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

TV: Monumental Sports Network

Odds/Point Spread: Hurricanes (-165) Capitals (+135)

Capital One Arena is the location where the Washington Capitals (18-12-6) will attempt to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes (21-13-4) on Friday. The odds on this game have Carolina at -165 and Washington is sitting at +135. The total comes in at 7.

The Carolina Hurricanes went home feeling good about their game by earning a 6-1 victory over the Rangers their last time on the ice. The Hurricanes had a solid offensive performance in this win. For the matchup, they scored on 6 of the 27 shots they attempted. Moreover, they had 4 chances with the advantage and were able to net 2 goals. Carolina accounted for 6 mins in the box in this matchup.

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At even strength, the Hurricanes have allowed 95 goals while having 93 on offense. Carolina Hurricanes opponents have amassed 124 power play opportunities (8th in professional hockey) and have racked up 21 goals in those attempts. In relation to scoring goals, the Carolina Hurricanes have racked up 129 goals (5th in hockey) over the course of the season and have conceded 116. Carolina has tried 1,265 shots and has a shot percentage of 10.2%. For the year, they have recorded 46 points and their points percentage is .605. The Hurricanes so far have had 985 shots attempted against them and have earned a save percentage of .882. Carolina has accounted for 132 power play opportunities and they have tallied 36 goals during those chances, giving them a percentage of 27.27%.

The man protecting the goal in this game is Pyotr Kochetkov. For his career, Kochetkov is sitting with 27 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is .614. His save percentage currently is .906 in his 2,715 mins guarding the cage. Kochetkov has had 1,197 shots taken against him and he has 1,085 total saves. Opponents have been able to score 112 goals against Kochetkov in his pro career and his goals against average per game is 2.48. He has accumulated an overall record of 25-14-8 and he has started in 44 games. Kochetkov has participated in 48 matchups throughout his NHL career.

The last time they were on the ice, Washington went up against the Devils in a matchup where the Capitals took the loss by a mark of 6-3. The Capitals scored 3 goals out of the 26 shots on goal they tried. They had 4 opportunities on the power play in this one and recorded 2 out of those chances.

On the season, the Washington Capitals are sitting with 85 goals, 42 points, in addition to a points percentage of .583. They have allowed 104 goals to be scored by way of 83 goals at even strength and 21 goals while they were shorthanded. The Capitals have earned 71 goals at even strength and 14 goals (28th in hockey) while having more men on the ice. They have a total of 102 chances on the power play and they have accumulated a power play rate of 13.73%. Washington has put up 1,003 shots (29th in hockey) and has accumulated a shot percentage of 8.47%, while allowing the other team 1,114 shots. They have a penalty kill percentage of 81.08% on their oppositions 111 chances on the power play, and their save percentage currently sits at 90.7%.

On the other side of the ice you will find Darcy Kuemper in net. The opposition is averaging 2.58 goals/game and he has yielded 910 goals overall. Kuemper's rate of quality starts sits at 55.1% and he has 196 quality starts in his NHL career. He has started in 356 games and has played for a total of 21,187 minutes. Kuemper has accrued a lifetime mark of 174-129-45 and has been in goal for 375 contests. He has a tally of 9,792 stops out of the 10,702 shots tried, giving him a save % of .915.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy's Pick: Take Washington (+135)

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