The Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals meet Thursday in Game 2 of their best-of-7 Eastern Conference semifinals series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Puck drop at Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Hurricanes vs. Capitals odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Series: Hurricanes lead 1-0

The Hurricanes dominated the shot count 33-14 in Tuesday’s Game 1, but never led until winning 2-1 in overtime. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin netted the game-winner as Carolina stole home-ice advantage as a -137 road favorite. C Logan Stankoven took advantage of a Washington turnover in front of the net and scored to tie the game just over 10 minutes remaining.

Washington must overcome the heartbreaking overtime loss at home in Game 1. C Aliaksei Protas, who missed the first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens due to injury, opened the scoring in the second period. However, the Capitals failed to extend the lead, going 0-for-2 on the power play. LW Alex Ovechkin managed only 1 shot on goal, a playoff low this postseason.

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Hurricanes at Capitals odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:02 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Hurricanes -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | Capitals +115 (bet $100 to win $115)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Hurricanes -1.5 (+195) | Capitals +1.5 (-235)Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -118 | U: -102)Hurricanes at Capitals projected goalies

Frederik Andersen (4-1-0, 1.45 GAA, .935 SV% — postseason) vs. Logan Thompson (4-2-0, 2.17 GAA, .926 SV% — postseason)

Andersen continued his impressive playoff performance on Tuesday, stopping 13 of 14 shots for a 0.95 GAA and .929 SV%. He has a 11-4-3 career record against the Capitals. His playoff career record is 42-31 with a 2.40 GAA and .915 SV%, showcasing his postseason reliability.

Thompson played well in Game 1, stopping 31 of 33 shots for a 1.99 GAA and .939 SV%. He has faced the Hurricanes 3 times in his career, losing all 3 matchups. However, his postseason record remains solid, with a 6-4 record, 2.25 GAA, and .924 SV% across 6 games this season and 4 games with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2024.

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Hurricanes at Capitals picks and predictionsPrediction

Capitals 2, Hurricanes 1

BET CAPITALS (+115).

Game 2 is a must-win for the Capitals. With plus odds at home, I like the team that had the best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference, especially when they’re facing the pressure of potentially going down 0-2 before heading to Raleigh, North Carolina, for Game 3. Thompson has proven he can carry the team, but needs more support. He had a strong showing in Game 1, where he faced an onslaught and stood tall, but his teammates must step up.

Andersen, while solid in net, isn’t unbeatable, and Washington has a clear path to victory if they can break through on the power play. Carolina has yet to allow a power-play goal in the playoffs, while the Capitals have converted on just 20% of their chances.

Washington must come out with the intensity of a wild animal backed into a corner and take control in Game 2. I believe they will do just that and bounce back with a win on Thursday night.

PASS.

It’s too hard to play around with puck line in the playoffs because all these games are so tight. I’ll keep my wager to the moneyline.

BET UNDER 5.5 (-102).

The Under is 3-1-1 in the 5 meetings this season, including Game 1 of this series. With both teams still feeling each other out early in the series and playing tight, the trend is likely to continue. The Under hit in the first 3 games of Carolina’s series against the New Jersey Devils and in the first 2 games of Washington’s series against Montreal. With both goalies playing exceptionally well and Carolina yet to allow a power-play goal in the playoffs, I’m leaning toward the Under again in Game 2.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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