This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets for February 18: Expert Picks and Props for Capitals vs. Hurricanes
The Washington Capitals (28-23-6) travel to meet the Carolina Hurricanes (36-10-8) in an NHL Stadium Series outdoor game at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. on Saturday night.
Washington heads outside for the fourth time in franchise history, and just the second time on the road. The Capitals boast a perfect 3-0 record all-time in outdoor games.
Carolina is not only hosting its first outdoor contest, but the Hurricanes are playing in their first-ever game outside.
The Capitals limp into this game, literally and figuratively, with three consecutive losses. Tom Wilson was able to skate on Friday, getting a look at the ice conditions at Carter-Finley Stadium, although he is still a question mark due to his lower-body injury.
John Carlson and Nic Dowd are each sidelined, while Alexei Protas is also ruled out for this contest. And, of course, Alex Ovechkin is away from the team in Russia due to the death of his father, so Washington is quite shorthanded at the moment.
The Hurricanes steamrolled the Montreal Canadiens by a 6-2 score on Thursday night, electrifying the crowd on Hall of Fame night. Seth Jarvis picked up his first-career hat trick to lead the offense, while Antti Raanta made the start to give Frederik Andersen a rest.
Andersen (12-4-0, 2.61 GAA, .899 SV%) is projected to start for the home side. He has actually lost to the Capitals in an outdoor game once before, allowing five goals on 25 shots in a 5-2 setback March 3, 2018 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
In that game, Evgeni Kuznetsov scored a goal while adding two assists, and Nicklas Backstrom also had a goal and three points.
The Capitals are projected to use Darcy Kuemper (16-16-4, 2.63 GAA, .914 SV%, 5 SO). He has never appeared in an outdoor game before.
Since the Hurricanes are playing so well lately, and the Capitals are dinged up and hurting, it's tempting to take Carolina. But the money line price is so high. The Capitals have cashed the puck line in each of the first two regular-season meetings, and Washington should be able to keep it close in a lower-scoring game outside.
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NHL Money Line Bets for Capitals vs. Hurricanes
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- Capitals PL (-160 at BetMGM)
The Capitals and Hurricanes have cashed the Under in each of the first two meetings this season, totaling exactly five goals in each meetings.
Washington has averaged just 2.0 goals per game across the past three outings, cashing the Under in two of those contests.
It's all about the Under lately for the Caps, going 5-2-1 in the past eight games overall, while hitting at a 4-0-1 clip in the past five games against teams with a winning overall record.
The Under has connected in 10 of the past 14 games against Metropolitan Division foes, too, while cashing at a 3-1-1 pace in the previous five battles against Eastern Conference opponents.
Based solely on Washington's lack of star power, and struggles to light the lamp, keep banging the Under in Caps games. Plus, with some potentially sticky ice conditions outside, the pace could be a bit slow at times, favoring Under bettors.
NHL Totals Bets for Capitals vs. Hurricanes
- Under 5.5 (-106 at FanDuel)
NHL Player Props for Capitals vs. Hurricanes
Checking out the player props, there are a couple of attractive options for both of these Metropolitan Division combatants.
Evgeny Kuznetsov has been here before, and he scored in the team's most recent outdoor game while adding two assists. He is probably the most dangerous healthy player on the ice for the Capitals, and he is worth a roll of the dice as an anytime goal scorer for the chance to more than triple up.
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- Evgeny Kuznetsov Anytime Goal Scorer (+340 at FanDuel)
Brent Burns is on a roll, going for two goals and four points in four games in the month of February, including a goal in Washington last Tuesday. He has picked up five goals and 11 points across the past 10 games overall, too.
- Brent Burns Over 0.5 Points (-134 at FanDuel)
