Vancouver Canucks vs. Washington Capitals: Pick, Prediction and Odds

Read the latest betting pick and prediction for tonight's matchup between the Vancouver Canucks (18-12-9) and Washington Capitals (26-10-4), courtesy of our friends at Daily Faceoff.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Washington Capitals betting pick and prediction

The Vancouver Canucks desperately needed a break, but it doesn’t look like it helped much. They went 5-9 in December and are 1-2 so far in January.

Their latest loss in Montreal was especially frustrating—they blew a 3-1 lead midway through the game and lost in overtime after Nick Suzuki scored just 48 seconds in.

Quinn Hughes returned to the lineup ahead of schedule after missing four games, picking up two assists in his comeback. However, Elias Pettersson remains out with an undisclosed injury and is still at the center of trade rumors. Starting goalie Thatcher Demko is listed as day-to-day with a back issue but is traveling with the team.

Even with those injuries, the bigger issues are the team’s poor play and the ongoing drama surrounding Pettersson and J.T. Miller.

On the other side, Washington continues to roll toward the playoffs.

The Capitals haven’t put together back-to-back wins since the holiday break, but they’ve only lost consecutive games twice all season. Vancouver, by contrast, has lost five of its last six home games. Meanwhile, Washington has been dominant at home, going 13-4-3, with six wins in its last eight.

According to Evolving Hockey, the Capitals rank sixth in expected goals and 12th in shots while holding the second-best goal share. The Canucks, on the other hand, rank in the bottom 10 in both categories.

Washington has been the league’s best offensive team this season (3.67 goals per 60 minutes), while Vancouver is among the worst defensively in goals allowed per 60. This matchup is a clear mismatch—and possibly more lopsided than the odds suggest.

Pick: Washington Capitals -1.5 (+135)

Read more betting picks and predictions for the NHL on site.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Washington Capitals odds

VAN Canucks	+160 ML
WAS Capitals	-190 ML
Puck Line	WAS Capitals -1.5
Total Goals	O/U 6.0

Read the latest NHL news on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Better Collective. Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.