Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Panthers -105, Capitals -115; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Panthers -105, Capitals -115; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Panthers -105, Capitals -115; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Florida Panthers: 32-19-3 (1st place, Atlantic Division)
Washington Capitals: 34-11-7 (1st place, Metropolitan Division)
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Recent Form
Florida Panthers: 7-3-0 last 10
Washington Capitals: 7-1-2 last 10
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Preview and Analysis
The Panthers are entering this game with 67 points, a 32-19-3 record overall, and they are 16-10-1 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the New York Islanders in their last game, winning that one at home 6-3. Carter Verhaeghe led the team in goals scored with 3 as he recorded the hattrick while Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, and Evan Rodrigues each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Aleksander Barkov led the team in assists with 3 while Matthew Tkachuk led the team in shots on net in that game with 6. Spencer Knight was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 34 shots with 31 saves and a .912 save percentage. Their offense has scored 181 goals this season averaging 3.4 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 156 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.
The Capitals are entering this game with 75 points, a 34-11-7 record overall, and they are 16-4-5 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Winnipeg Jets in their last game, losing that one at home 5-4 in overtime. Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alexander Ovechkin, and Taylor Raddysh each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Matt Roy led the team in assists with 3 while Pierre-Luc Dubois led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Logan Thompson was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 5 goals on 30 shots with 25 saves and a .833 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 182 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 129 goals against them allowing 2.5 goals per game.
Panthers vs Capitals Prediction
The current betting odds have the Capitals listed as a slight favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Capitals have looked great in their games this season with their 34-11-7 record overall which has them leading their division in the East with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They have also looked great on home ice this year with their 16-4-5 home record. Meanwhile, the Panthers have looked great in their games this season with their 32-19-3 record overall which has them leading their division in the East. They have been a good road team this year with their 16-10-1 road record, but they haven't played their best hockey on the road this season. They have looked really good lately with their 7-3-0 record in their last 10 games and they do have some momentum on their side with 3 wins in a row now, but all 3 wins also came on home ice and they played both Saturday and Sunday over the weekend so they are working on less rest here. The Capitals played their last game on Saturday so they have some more rest on their side. They are coming off a tight OT loss at home against the Jets in their last one and they have now lost 2 games in a row, both losses being 5-4 losses in OT, but they are still 7-1-2 in their last 10 games and will be looking to bounce back on their home ice. Expect the Capitals to bounce back at home after 2 tight losses, and even though the Caps are the best team in the East right now, they are still going to bring their best effort for the Stanley Cup champions. The best way to place a bet here is on the Capitals to win this game.
Panthers Capitals Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Tuesday, February 4, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Capitals 5 Panthers 3.
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NHL Betting Trends
Florida Panthers: 45-23 (+12.1 units) on the moneyline as a road favorite of -200 or less. 18-9 (+7.3 units) on the moneyline after scoring 6 goals or more in their previous game. 43-28 (+12.9 units) on the moneyline when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 24-14 OVER revenging a blowout loss vs opponent of 3 goals or more.
Washington Capitals: 56-53 (-6.5 units) on the moneyline in home games. 61-80 (-10.8 units) on the moneyline against good offensive teams - averaging 29.5+ shots on goal per game. 75-96 (-25 units) on the moneyline against excellent power play teams- scoring on over 17.5% of their chances. 25-18 OVER off a home loss.
Key Injuries
Florida Panthers: M. Samoskevich (RW) Day To Day - Illness.
Washington Capitals: S. Milano (LW) Out - Upper-body. N. Backstrom (C) Out For Season - Hip. T. Oshie (RW) Out For Season - Back.
Notable Quotes
“I’d like to thank Patrick Roy and the New York Islanders. I thought, these guys, a tough back-to-back for them. They got a whole bunch of players out of their lineup. So when we do the ceremony, they have the option to stay in their room or come out, and they came out on the bench to recognize Dmitry. Incredibly, incredibly classy thing for them to do. And we really appreciate it very much." - Paul Maurice after his team’s win against the Islanders in their game on Sunday.
"I'm mad at myself that I didn't play him in overtime." - Spencer Carbery on Ethan Frank after his team’s loss against the Jets in their game on Saturday.
Starting Lineups
Florida Panthers
LW Carter Verhaeghe
C Aleksander Barkov
RW Sam Reinhart
LD Gustav Forsling
RD Aaron Ekblad
G Spencer Knight
Washington Capitals
LW Alex Ovechkin
C Dylan Strome
RW Tom Wilson
LD Rasmus Sandin
RD John Carlson
G Charlie Lindgren
Statistical Leaders
Florida Panthers
Points: S. Reinhart (59)
Goals: S. Reinhart (31)
Assists: A. Barkov (35)
GAA: S. Knight (2.49)
Washington Capitals
Points: D. Strome (50)
Goals: A. Ovechkin (24)
Assists: D. Strome (35)
GAA: L. Thompson (2.15)
Coaches:
Florida Panthers: Paul Maurice (3rd season)
Washington Capitals: Spencer Carbery (2nd season)