Jan. 29, 2026, 8:15 a.m. ET

The Washington Capitals (25-22-7) visit the Detroit Red Wings (32-17-5) Thursday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The opening faceoff in the third Caps-Wings meeting of the season is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Capitals vs. Red Wings odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Season series: Red Wings lead 2-0, with 3-2 and 5-2 wins in a home-and-home set Dec. 20-21

The Capitals have been on the road since Jan. 19. Thursday’s test in Detroit will mark the end of a 6-game voyage that has thus far seen Washington go 1-3-1 while allowing 4.20 goals per game. That trip had the Caps out West, and their last game was Tuesday at the Seattle Kraken. The +106 Kraken outshot Washington 32-20 in a 5-1 (push 6) rout.

The Red Wings also played their most recent game Tuesday. Detroit failed to score multiple goals for the first time since Jan. 13 in a 3-1 (Under 5.5) home loss to the +105 LA Kings.

Watch the NHL on Fubo!Capitals at Red Wings odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:02 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Capitals +100 (bet $100 to win $100) | Red Wings -120 (bet $120 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Capitals +1.5 (-235) | Red Wings -1.5 (+195)Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -130 | U: +105)Capitals at Red Wings projected goalies

Logan Thompson (18-16-4, 2.46 GAA, .912 SV%) vs. John Gibson (21-10-1, 2.60 GAA, .906 SV%)

Thompson started Tuesday’s game and allowed all 5 Seattle goals. The 28-year-old owns an .884 SV% over his last 5 games. He’s 2-2-0 with a 2.78 GAA in 4 career starts vs. Detroit.

Gibson yielded 2 goals on 21 shots in the Tuesday setback against the Kings. He owns wild home/road splits this season, and they don’t favor efforts on home ice. On the road, Gibson has registered a .935 SV%; at home, he’s filed an .879 figure. He’s 4-6-4 with a 2.92 GAA in 15 games vs. Washington.

Capitals at Red Wings picks and predictionsPrediction

Capitals 4, Red Wings 3

Washington and Detroit played back-to-back days Dec. 20-21, and the Red Wings swept those 2 games. But the Capitals had taken 4 of the previous 5 from the Wings. Two of the wins in that stretch — both last March — were by 3-goal margins.

The Capitals’ Tuesday clunker came after a solid mid-trip win followed by a high-energy overtime loss at the Edmonton Oilers. Look for a solid bounce-back in this contest. The Caps’ 5-on-5 play of late has generated more high-quality looks, and a struggling-all-season power play has logged a 24.2% success rate since Jan. 11.

The Detroit penalty kill has allowed a 29.2% PP success rate since Jan. 8. The Red Wings’ overall average scoring profile (3.07 goals for, 2.96 goals against) does not support their winning percentage. And recent-weeks expected-goals metrics are bullish on Detroit’s 8-2-1 mark since Jan. 5.

Gibson has played better at home recently but has tended to let in the odd extra half-goal when starting on 1-day rest.

FanDuel Sportsbook has a better leverage play on the Washington side: back the CAPITALS (+105).

No interest: PASS.

The Over is 5-3 across the last 8 series meetings, is 4-1-1 in the Caps’ last 6 games and 4-1 across Washington’s last 5 games following a multi-goal loss.

Look for some input from special teams, and both sides have registered recent expected-goal numbers that would call for more goals and more goals allowed.

TAKE THE OVER 6 (-130).

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