The Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes meet Saturday in Game 3 of their best-of-7 Eastern Conference semifinals series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Puck drop at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (TNT / truTV / MAX). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Capitals vs. Hurricanes odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Series: Tied 1-1.

The Capitals secured a crucial 3-1 win in Game 2 Thursday to even the series against the Hurricanes. C Connor McMichael opened the scoring in the second period with his fourth goal of the playoffs. Early in the third, D John Carlson became the first player to score a power-play goal against Carolina in these playoffs. RW Tom Wilson sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with just under a minute remaining.

Carolina was held in check in Game 2 by the Capitals’ strong defense and goaltending. Their lone goal came from D Shayne Gostisbehere on the power play in the third period, his second of the playoffs, narrowing the gap to 2-1. The Hurricanes pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, but the Capitals sealed the win with an empty-netter. Heading home, Carolina looks to bounce back, where they were unbeaten against the New Jersey Devils in their first-round series..

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Capitals at Hurricanes odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:45 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Capitals +190 (bet $100 to win $190) | Hurricanes -235 (bet $235 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Capitals +1.5 (-135) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+110)Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)Capitals at Hurricanes projected goalies

Logan Thompson (5-2, 2.01 GAA, .931 SV% — postseason) vs. Frederik Andersen (4-2, 1.55 GAA, .930 SV% — postseason)

Andersen was solid in Game 2, allowing 2 goals on 20 shots for a 2.05 GAA and .900 SV%. He holds an 11-5-3 career record against the Capitals and a strong playoff career mark of 42-32, with a 2.40 GAA and .915 SV%.

Thompson delivered another stellar performance in Game 2, stopping 27 of 28 shots for a 1.00 GAA and .964 SV%. This marked his first career win over Carolina in 4 matchups. His postseason record now stands at 7-4, with a 2.14 GAA and .927 SV%, including 7 games this season and 4 games with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2024.

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Capitals at Hurricanes picks and predictionsPrediction

Hurricanes 2, Capitals 1

PASS.

I’m not sold on the moneyline for either side in this matchup. While I have the Hurricanes winning, I’m not interested in betting them at -235. Instead, I’ll place my wager on the puck line for Game 3, where I feel more comfortable with the odds.

BET CAPITALS +1.5 (-135).

The odds improved Saturday morning from -165, and I prefer betting on the puck line over the moneyline for this matchup. I’m uncertain which version of the Capitals will show up. The Hurricanes thoroughly dominated Game 1 and the first period of Game 2, but Washington responded strongly in the second and third periods, looking like the best team in the Eastern Conference during those stretches.

Carolina has been dominant at home, with a 31-9-1 record during the regular season and a perfect 3-0 in the postseason so far. Washington’s Game 2 win came on the back of a crucial power-play breakthrough, something the Hurricanes need to address. Carolina was the best in the NHL during the regular season on the penalty kill, stopping 83.6% of power plays.

The Capitals have been led by Wilson, who has been a catalyst for their success. Washington’s performance often depends on how Wilson plays, and he’ll need to keep stepping up. Meanwhile, Carolina needs more from C Sebastian Aho, who had just 1 SOG in Game 2. He did land his first tally of the series on the Canes’ lone goal in Game 2.

While I think Carolina will win, it’ll be tight. That’s why I’m backing Washington on the puck line.

BET UNDER 5.5 (-110).

The Under is 4-1-1 in the 6 meetings between these teams this season, including Game 1 and 2 of this series, and I expect that trend to continue in Game 3. Both goalies have been outstanding throughout the playoffs, making it hard to envision many goals getting through. The Under also hit in the first 3 games of Carolina’s series against New Jersey. Additionally, Carolina has been excellent on the penalty kill, stopping 4 of 5 power plays in this series, the Canes were perfect at home in their first-round series.

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

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