Capitals vs Avalanche picks headline Monday’s late-afternoon slate, and this matchup checks a lot of boxes for bettors leaning on form, injuries, and home-ice dominance. If you are sorting through today’s NHL picks, this game stands out as one where the market, matchup, and recent results all point in the same direction.
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Terms & Conditions Quick Picks and Prediction Spread: Avalanche -1.5 Total: Under 6.5 Projected Final Score: Avalanche 4, Capitals 2 Odds and Line MovementOpening Odds Team Moneyline Total Washington +202 6.5 Colorado -250 6.5 Current Odds Team Moneyline Total Washington +176 6.5 Colorado -215 6.5 Line Movement – Puck Line Date Time Washington Colorado 01/18 11:47 AM +1.5 (-135) -1.5 (+114) 01/18 01:02 PM +1.5 (-142) -1.5 (+120) Line Movement – Total Date Time Over Under 01/18 08:31 PM 6.5 (-105) 6.5 (-115) 01/18 05:48 PM 6.5 (-104) 6.5 (-118) Avalanche vs Capitals Key Matchups and Handicap
This game sets up cleanly from a handicapping standpoint. Colorado returns home to Ball Arena, where the Avalanche have been nearly automatic, posting a 19-1-3 home record. Their style is built to overwhelm visiting teams with sustained pressure, heavy shot volume, and multiple scoring lines that can keep shifts tilted in the offensive zone.
Washington’s path to competing here is much narrower. The Capitals need clean exits, controlled neutral-zone play, and high-end finishing to trade chances with a Colorado team that averages 4.00 goals per game while allowing just 2.30. That is a tall task on the road, especially against an Avalanche squad that thrives at home and consistently dictates pace through possession.
Injuries further complicate the matchup for Washington. With key offensive pieces unavailable, the Capitals are forced to lean even more heavily on their top contributors to keep up. Against a Colorado team that can roll depth and apply pressure in waves, that imbalance tends to show as the game wears on.
Colorado is not without its own absences, but the structure and identity of this team remain intact. Even with some lineup shuffling on the blue line and up front, the Avalanche still control games through speed, puck possession, and home-ice confidence. This feels like a spot where Colorado builds a lead and manages the game rather than turning it into a wide-open track meet.
Betting Trends for WAS and COL Colorado has been dominant at home this season with a 19-1-3 record. Washington enters as a road underdog with multiple key injuries impacting offensive depth. The total has been shaded toward the under with consistent juice on the under 6.5. Key Injuries and Notes for WAS and COL Tom Wilson remains on injured reserve for Washington but is returning soon so monitor injury reports ahead of puck drop. Pierre-Luc Dubois is also on injured reserve for the Capitals. Devon Toews is out for Colorado. Gabriel Landeskog remains sidelined for the Avalanche. Joel Kiviranta is also out for Colorado. ATS and Total Picks ATS Pick: Avalanche -1.5 Total Pick: Under 6.5 Final Score Prediction Colorado Avalanche 4 Washington Capitals 2 How to Bet Capitals vs Avalanche
If you are backing Colorado in this spot, the puck line offers more value than laying heavy moneyline juice. Pairing Avalanche -1.5 with the under creates a correlated angle built around home dominance and Washington’s injury-limited offense. Be sure to shop for the best prices using trusted sportsbook promo codes, compare options across the best sportsbooks, and explore alternatives like social sportsbooks. If you are new to wagering, checking out a bet365 bonus code or a fliff promo code can help stretch your bankroll while targeting spots like this one.
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