Capitals vs. Avalanche Odds, Picks, Predictions: Makar Injury Leaves Colorado Vulnerable
The Washington Capitalsand Colorado Avalanche are both battling for playoff spots as they prepare to meet in Denver on Tuesday. Read on for our best Capitals vs. Avalanche pick based on topodds.
The defending-championAvalanche have survived a brutal run of injuries to sit in fourth place in theCentral Division with 53 points in 45 games. Yet, while the Avalanchehave generally been getting healthier in recent weeks, they are going to bemissing standout defenseman Cale Makar for Tuesday’s game. That is a gamechanger.
The Capitals, meanwhile, have a 6-5-2record since the holiday break and are in fourth place in theMetropolitan Division with 56 points in 49 games.
Star winger Alex Ovechkinleads Washington with 30 goals and 52 points in 48 games, and is expected to play Tuesday after missingSaturday’s loss at Vegas due to a lower-body injury.
Here is our best Capitalsvs. Avalanche NHL pick (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook; pickconfidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Capitals vs. Avalanche Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 9 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+, Sportsnet1, ALT, NBCSWA
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Capitals vs. Avalanche Odds
Capitals vs. Avalanche Odds Analysis
The FanDuel moneyline opened with the Avalancheas favorites at -178, with the Capitals at +146. With 72% of the early consensusmoneyline wagers on the Avalanche, the line has shifted dramatically, withColorado priced at -134, compared to Washington at +112.
That line shift is largely due to the statuses ofOvechkin and Makar, with the former returning to action and the latter sitting out his fourth straight game.
The total has remained steady at 6 atFanDuel. The opening price was -114 for the Under and -106 for the Over but with58% of the consensus action on the Over, the price for the total has moved inthe other direction. The Under is now -124, while the Over is +102.
Capitals vs. Avalanche Pick
Capitals ML (+112) vs. Avalanche ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dude, where’s Makar?
It’s tough enough forColorado to be missing Bowen Byram and Josh Manson on the blueline, but losingMakar to injury is a much bigger hole in the lineup. The Avs control 55.5%of expected goals during five-on-five play with Makar on the ice, making him topsamong Colorado regulars.
With Makar out, theAvalanche have puck movers like Devon Toews and Samuel Girard that can move upthe depth chart, but they aren’t nearly as good. And while Colorado has won three straight games withMakar out of the lineup, its defensive depth has been challenged.
JourneymenBrad Hunt, Kurtis McDermid, Jacob McDonald, and Andreas Englund have roundedout spots 4-7 on the Colorado blueline as the Avs opt to dressan extra defensemen.
That is a defensethat can be exploited by a Washington lineup that has been inconsistent but isgetting better with improved health.
Nicklas Backstrom andTom Wilson returned to the Washington’s lineup Jan. 8 and the Capitals havecontrolled more than 53% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expectedgoals in that time, which ranks seventh.
Getting the Capitalsat plus money against a depleted Avalanche defense is well worth the play.
Capitals vs. Avalanche Best Odds
FanDuel (+112)
The puck line isrelatively consistent at most of the top-rated sportsbooks, with a Caps win ranging between +105 and +115.
The moneyline has movedquite a bit with confirmation that Makar will be out of the Avalanche lineup, pushing the odds closer to even. BetMGM was slowest to move, but ultimatelysettled at +110 like most of the top-ranked sportsbooks.
Timing is a hugefactor when it comes to injuries to star players. If it’s a run-of-the-mill skater, the line is not going to move. But in the case of a player like Makar, absent from an Avs team that is already missing tworegulars on the blueline, the value can change quickly.
Capitals-Avalanche pickmade 1/24/2023 at 2:15 p.m. ET.
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