Flyers at Capitals Odds, Expert Picks and Predictions Tonight

Flyers at Capitals Odds, Expert Picks and Predictions Tonight

This article is part of our NHL Picks series.

NHL Betting Picks: Expert NHL Bets and Props for Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals

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The Philadelphia Flyers (1-4-1) travel to meet the Washington Capitals (4-1-0) at Capital One Arena on Wednesday night in the standalone game in the NHL. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on TNT, truTV and Max.

What a wacky schedule the NHL has given us this week. On Monday, we had a single game, then Tuesday, we had every team in action, and now Wednesday, we're back to a lone contest.

These teams just played at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night in Philadelphia, and the Capitals skated away with a 4-1 victory as a slight underdog (+121) while the Under (6) cashed.

Samuel Ersson was under fire early in the first period, as Nic Dowd and Andrew Mangiapane each scored shorthanded goals in the first 15:07, and you would have thought Flyers' bench boss John Tortorella's head was going to explode. Ersson settled down, as there was a scoreless second period. 

The Fly Guys saw Travis Sanheim slice the lead in half just 34 seconds into the third period, with helpers to Cam York and Matvei Michkov. The positive feelings lasted all of 64 seconds, as John Carlson answered with his second goal of the season at 1:38 of the third period to restore the two-goal advantage. Jakob Chychrun gave Washington some insurance, with Brandon Duhaime and Jakub Vrana picking up their first helpers of the season for the 4-1 victory.

Charlie Lindgren received all of the offensive support he needed, kicking aside 17 of the 18 shots he faced. For the second end of the back-to-back, Logan Thompson (2-0-0, 3.41 GAA, .877 SV%) is confirmed to start for the Caps. Ivan Fedotov (0-2-0, 6.09 GAA, .818 SV%) is expected to get the nod for Philly in the back-to-back situation.

Last season, the Caps were a solid 8-5-2 when playing on no rest, while the Flyers were 5-5-2 with a goal differential of minus-7.

Washington is cooking along with 4.0 goals per game (GPG), despite the fact the power play is hitting at just a 15.4 percent clip, good for 24th in the NHL. The Caps aren't terribly effective at the faceoff dot, either, winning just 46.5 percent, checking in at 27th in the league. Defensively, the penalty kill is 85.7 percent, which is Top 10 in the league, and, of course, the Caps had the two shorties on Tuesday.

Philadelphia is 0-4-1 through five games, and it has allowed 23 goals in the skid, which is 4.6 GPG. The Flyers haven't won since a 3-2 SOW in Vancouver in the regular-season opener Oct. 11.

We'll back the Capitals at home with Thompson, and it's rather stunning that the line is so low. Take advantage, go rather aggressively, and know I'm right there along with you risking the money I'm making for contributing this column, and probably then some.

NHL Moneyline Bets for Flyers at Capitals

  • Capitals ML (-135 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Looking at the total for the second half of this home-and-home, the Flyers saw the Under go 7-4-1 in the 12 games last season when playing the second end of a back-to-back.

For the Capitals, they hit the Under at an 8-5-2 clip in the 15 games last season when they played on no rest.

As far as this season is concerned, Philadelphia has hit the Under in the past two games, netting just one goal, the Sanheim marker in the third period on Tuesday.

For Washington, the Under is 2-1 in the past three games, including the first meeting yesterday with the Fly Guys. The Under is also 2-1 in the past three meetings in the nation's capital, while the Under has a 5-3 edge in the past eight battles in the series.

The Under is a little pricey at FanDuel, but you can get it at U 6.5, and that's too hard to pass up, especially the way Philadelphia's offense is going lately.

NHL Totals Bets for Flyers at Capitals

  • Under 6.5 Goals (-140 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Visit our NHL odds page for the most up-to-date betting odds.

NHL Game and Players Props for Flyers at Capitals

  • Dylan Strome Anytime Goal Scorer (+230 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Generally, when playing an Under bet, it's a good idea to avoid Anytime Goal Scorer (AGS) props, as you're sorta cheering against yourself. However, we can still have six goals and catch an Under, so there is room for both things to happen here.

Dylan Strome leads the Capitals with eight points, including three goals, and he is one of eight Washington players with 10+ shots on goal (SOG) so far this season. He isn't shy about squeezing off a shot, and he has hit the back of the net at a 27.3 percent clip.

  • No Goal Scorer - Away Team (+1300 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Let's take a walk on the wild side and roll the dice. The Flyers have managed just a single goal in the past two games, including a shutout loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night at home, so this isn't out of the realm of possibility.

It's a big stretch, as Thompson allowed two goals on 26 shots last Tuesday in a win over the Vegas Golden Knights, his former employer, before coughing up five goals on 31 shots in a wild 6-5 OTW against the New Jersey Devils. He hasn't really been close to a shutout, but he hasn't faced a toothless offense like the Flyers, either.

Flyers at Capitals NHL Best Bets Recap

  • Capitals ML (-135 Caesars Sportsbook)
  • Under 6.5 Goals (-140 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
  • Dylan Strome Anytime Goal Scorer (+230 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
  • No Goal Scorer - Away Team (+1300 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Dobish
Hockey writer, unskilled fourth liner, fantasy and gambling industry veteran, handicapper, FSWA's 2011 fantasy hockey writer of the year nominee and four-time FSWA award winner. Twitter: @danieledobish
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