Check out a top prediction and pick for tonight’s Washington Capitals vs. Los Angeles Kings matchup as part of the Tuesday NHL slate.
The NHL schedule on Tuesday is an absolute heater with quality matchups throughout the entire evening. Two of last year’s playoff teams face off on the West Coast in the final matchup of the schedule, bringing an exciting duel to the primetime window. The Los Angeles Kings sit second in the Pacific Division while the Washington Capitals are third in the Metropolitan, so this has the makings of a high-quality contest with plenty of entertainment value and betting appeal alike.
Here’s a Capitals vs. Kings prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday’s contest.
Capitals vs. Kings prediction, preview
Washington Capitals
With 32 points at 15-9-2, the Capitals aren’t too far out of first place in their division. Really though, it’s surprising to see them not at the top of the standings since a goal differential of +19 is tied for the top mark in the Eastern Conference and third-best in the entire sport. Washington leans into two-way play with just 2.58 GA/GP (second-best) while scoring 3.38 GF/GP (seventh overall). Five skaters have 20+ points — Tom Wilson (29), Alex Ovechkin (25), Jakob Chychrun (23), John Carlson (22) and Dylan Strome (21). That’s a talented bunch, and with two defensemen in that bunch, the Capitals are getting contributions from all around. Sitting top-seven in both shots taken and shots allowed per game is a recipe for success, even despite horrendous special teams play. The power play hasn’t yet come around at just 15.6%, while the penalty kill comes in at 71.8%.
Los Angeles Kings
The start of the season wasn’t much to write about for Los Angeles, but the franchise has largely found its footing and identity once more. With 31 points at 12-6-7, the Kings are leaning into the defensive prowess which has made them so tough to beat in recent years and riding excellent goaltending to success. It’s tough to believe a team averaging just 2.68 GF/GP, sixth-worst, would find itself in the postseason hunt. Adrian Kempe is the only skater with 20+ points (22), with Quinton Byfield (19) and Kevin Fiala the only teammates with a tally above 13 themselves. Yet somehow, the Kings are making it work. They’re tied for the third-fewest GA/GP (2.60) behind an excellent blue line and play from goaltender Darcy Kuemper, and they’re seventh in shots allowed per game. The power play is worse than the Capitals’ at a paltry 14.1%, but a penalty kill stopping opponents at an 81.3% rate does spark some hope.
Capitals vs. Kings pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Kings as -120 favorites on the Moneyline tonight, while the Capitals come in at +100. The total sits at 5.5 combined goals.
So far, 62% of the straight bets support the Caps to win outright with 70% of bets on the total favoring the over.
The goalie matchup pits two excellent netminders against each other here. For Washington, Logan Thompson brings a 2.08 GAA and .916 SV% into tonight with an 11-6-1 record across 18 starts. As for Los Angeles, Darcy Kuemper starts with a 2.39 GAA, .907 SV% and 8-4-5 record.
While the Kings are favored tonight and bring in an excellent defense, there’s not much they do better than the Capitals. Washington has far more star power and a significantly more reliable attack. Neither side excels on special teams (far from it, really) but when it comes to five-on-five dominance, the Caps take the edge in that aspect as well. Sure, Kuemper can take over games, but Thompson’s numbers are better this season as well. I fully expect a grind-it-out game here as these elite defenses go head-to-head, which does create some interest in the under despite how bettors are treating that line. Still, Washington is too good to be an underdog tonight with 21 goals separating the team’s differential from its opponent’s. Add in that L.A. is a modest 3-4-3 in its own barn despite last year’s home dominance, and I’m confident in the Capitals’ ability to win straight up.
Best Bet: WAS Capitals ML (+100)