Blues vs Capitals Prediction NHL Picks 1/18/24
The St. Louis Blues will play the Washington Capitals on Thursday night at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. St. Louis has lost three of their last four games, while Washington has alternated wins and losses over their last six. Let’s take a look at the betting matchup and the Blues vs Capitals prediction.
Blues Preview
The St. Louis Blues are 21-19-2 this year after they lost to the Flyers by a score of 4-2 in their last game. St. Louis tied the game at one in the second period and at two in the third period, but allowed the Flyers to score the last two goals for the win. The Blues were out shot by a total of 42-30 and went 1-3 on the power play in the game. St. Louis lost to Boston by a score of 4-3 in the game prior to Philadelphia, but did defeat the Rangers by a score of 5-2 before that. The Blues are scoring 2.81 goals per game and they are allowing 3.19 goals against per game, while going 13.8% on the power play and 78.4% on the penalty kill. Robert Thomas has led St. Louis with 16 goals, 28 assists, and 87 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for St. Louis is Jordan Binnington, who is 14-11-2 this year with a 3.04 goals against average and a .906 save percentage.
Capitals Preview
The Washington Capitals are 21-15-6 this season after they defeated the Ducks by a score of 2-0 in their last game. Washington scored once in the first period and added an empty net goal in the third for the shutout win. The Capitals out shot Anaheim by a total of 28-24 and went 0-1 on the power play in the game. Washington lost to the Rangers by a score of 2-1 in the game prior to Anaheim, but did defeat the Rangers by a score of 3-2 before that. The Capitals are scoring 2.33 goals per game and they are allowing 2.88 goals against per game, while going 13.3% on the power play and 80.5% on the penalty kill. Alex Ovechkin has led Washington with eight goals, 19 assists, and 139 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Washington is Charlie Lindgren, who is 8-4-3 this season with a 2.24 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Washington Capitals Team Facts
- The underdogs have won each of the last three games between the Blues and Capitals at Capital One Arena.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in eight of the last nine games between the Blues and Capitals.
- The Capitals have lost the first period in nine of their last 10 games at Capital One Arena following a home win.
- The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 3' market has hit in each of the Capitals' last nine games as home favorites against opponents on a losing streak.
St. Louis Blues Team Facts
- The Blues have won six of their last seven games as underdogs against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Blues have covered the puck line in each of their last six games at Capital One Arena.
- The underdogs have won the second period in each of the Blues' last four games at Capital One Arena.
- The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 1' market has hit in each of the Blues' last four games as underdogs.
Washington Capitals Player Prop Facts
- Alex Ovechkin has recorded at least one point in each of the Capitals' last six games against Central Division opponents at Capital One Arena.
- Alex Ovechkin has recorded at least one assist in each of his last four appearances after playing less than 20 minutes in the Capitals' last game.
- John Carlson recorded an equal-career-high two goals in his last game against the Blues.
St. Louis Blues Player Prop Facts
- Robert Thomas has recorded at least one point in each of the Blues' last eight Thursday games.
- Robert Thomas has recorded at least one assist in each of the Blues' last six Thursday night games.
- Alexei Toropchenko has the equal-most Shorthanded Goals for the Blues this season (2).
Matchup/League Facts
- The Washington Capitals rank 32nd in the league for power play goals this season (15).
- The Washington Capitals rank 31st in the league for Period 3 goals scored per game this season (0.60).
- The St. Louis Blues rank 32nd in the league in penalty minutes this season (273).
- The St. Louis Blues rank T30th in the league for power play goals this season (17).
Blues vs Capitals Betting Prediction
Both of these teams have been inconsistent so far this season, but Washington has been the better team and will be at home. The Capitals really struggle to score on a consistent basis, but they make up for it with solid defense. St. Louis has lost three of their last four games and they have allowed at least four goals in those three losses. The Blues are only 8-11-1 on the road, while Washington is 12-7-4 at home. I don’t love the Washington offensive attack, but I am going to take them at home in this matchup.
