by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Mar 06, 2025
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, March 7, 2025
Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Red Wings +185, Capitals -225; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Red Wings +185, Capitals -225; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Red Wings +185, Capitals -225; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Detroit Red Wings: 30-25-6 (5th place, Atlantic Division)
Washington Capitals: 40-14-8 (1st place, Metropolitan Division)
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Recent Form
Detroit Red Wings: 5-4-1 last 10
Washington Capitals: 6-3-1 last 10
Detroit Red Wings vs Washington Capitals Preview and Analysis
The Red Wings are entering this game with 66 points, a 30-25-6 record overall, and they are 14-11-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Carolina Hurricanes in their last game, losing that one at home 2-1, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Utah Hockey Club still to be played on Thursday night. In their game against the Hurricanes, Elmer Söderblom scored 1 goal for them in that one unassisted. Marco Kasper and Dylan Larkin each led the team in shots on net in that game with 3. Alex Lyon was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 30 shots with 28 saves and a .933 save percentage. Their offense has scored 177 goals this season averaging 2.9 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 193 goals against them allowing 3.2 goals per game.
The Capitals are entering this game with 88 points, a 40-14-8 record overall, and they are 19-7-6 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the New York Rangers in their last game, winning that one on the road 3-2 in overtime. Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Alexander Ovechkin each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Tom Wilson, Andrew Mangiapane, Connor McMichael, and Dylan Strome each led the team in assists with 1 while Alexander Ovechkin led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Charlie Lindgren was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 17 shots with 15 saves and a .882 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 223 goals this season averaging 3.6 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 163 goals against them allowing 2.6 goals per game.
Red Wings vs Capitals Prediction
The current betting odds have the Capitals listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Capitals have looked great in their games this season with their 40-14-8 record overall which has them right at the top of their division in the East with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They have also looked great on home ice with their 19-7-6 home record. Meanwhile, the Red Wings haven't looked great in their games this season with their 30-25-6 record overall which has them in 5th place of their division in the East and out of a playoff spot at the moment. They are still in the playoff race as they are only a few points behind the Wild Card spots, but they haven't been a great road team with their 14-11-3 road record this season. They haven't looked that good lately either as they are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and have lost 3 games in a row now. They aren't in a great situation either since they are playing this game on a back-to-back. The Capitals have looked a lot better lately as they are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and they have some momentum on their side with 2 wins in a row now. They also have more rest on their side so look for them to take advantage of a struggling Red Wings team on the road in this bad situation. The best way to place a bet here is on the Capitals to win this game and on the puckline.
Red Wings Capitals Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Friday, March 7, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Capitals 3 Red Wings 1.
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NHL Betting Trends
Detroit Red Wings: 6-3 (+5 units) on the moneyline in a road game where the total is 5.5. 43-56 (+4.5 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a winning record. 98-110 (+3.3 units) on the moneyline against mistake free teams - opponents average 4 power plays/game or less. 40-40 (+4.2 units) on the moneyline when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days.
Washington Capitals: 59-57 (-9.5 units) on the moneyline in home games. 52-43 (-11.3 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a losing record. 78-87 (-18.5 units) on the moneyline against poor power play killing teams - opp score on over 17.5% of chances. 105-109 (-8.8 units) on the moneyline against mistake free teams - opponents average 4 power plays/game or less.
Key Injuries
Detroit Red Wings: A. Copp (C) Out For Season - Pectoral. J. Petry (D) Out - Undisclosed.
Washington Capitals: S. Milano (LW) Out - Upper-body. N. Backstrom (C) Out For Season - Hip. T. Oshie (RW) Out For Season - Back.
Notable Quotes
“It’s a shame that the winning goal came on a bad bounce, because I thought Alex made a lot of great saves for us.” - Todd McLellan after his team’s loss against the Hurricanes in their game on Tuesday.
"I think our bench, everyone kind of jumps through the roof whenever he finds the back of the net, which is fitting because he's always the most excited guy on the ice when anybody else scores. Whenever he scores, obviously everybody in the hockey world is pretty excited right now. Happy for him and proud how he's carrying himself and doing such a great job." - Tom Wilson on Ovechkin scoring in their win against the Rangers on Wednesday.
Starting Lineups
Detroit Red Wings
LW Elmer Soderblom
C Dylan Larkin
RW Lucas Raymond
LD Ben Chiarot
RD Moritz Seider
G Alex Lyon
Washington Capitals
LW Aliaksei Protas
C Dylan Strome
RW Alex Ovechkin
LD Rasmus Sandin
RD John Carlson
G Charlie Lindgren
Statistical Leaders
Detroit Red Wings
Points: L. Raymond (63)
Goals: A. DeBrincat (29)
Assists: L. Raymond (41)
GAA: A. Lyon (2.71)
Washington Capitals
Points: D. Strome (61)
Goals: A. Ovechkin (32)
Assists: D. Strome (43)
GAA: L. Thompson (2.32)
Coaches:
Detroit Red Wings: Todd McLellan (Interim)
Washington Capitals: Spencer Carbery (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
