by Rod Pearson
Monday, Mar 17, 2025
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Red Wings +160, Capitals -192; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Red Wings +165, Capitals -200; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Red Wings +160, Capitals -190; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Season Record
Detroit Red Wings: 32-29-6 (6th place, Atlantic Division)
Washington Capitals: 44-15-8 (1st place, Metropolitan Division)
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Recent Form
Detroit Red Wings: 3-7-0 last 10
Washington Capitals: 6-4-0 last 10
Detroit Red Wings vs Washington Capitals Preview and Analysis
The Red Wings are entering this game with 70 points, a 32-29-6 record overall, and they are 14-14-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Vegas Golden Knights in their last game, winning that one at home 3-0. Albert Johansson, Marco Kasper, and Lucas Raymond each scored 1 goal for them in that one. J. T. Compher, Erik Gustafsson, Patrick Kane, Elmer Söderblom, and Vladimir Tarasenko each led the team in assists with 1 while Patrick Kane and Marco Kasper each led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Petr Mrázek was the starting goalie in that game and he recorded the shutout as he allowed 0 goals on 18 shots with 18 saves and a 1.000 save percentage. Their offense has scored 194 goals this season averaging 2.9 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 211 goals against them allowing 3.1 goals per game.
The Capitals are entering this game with 96 points, a 44-15-8 record overall, and they are 21-7-6 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the San Jose Sharks in their last game, winning that one on the road 5-1. Alexander Ovechkin, Aliaksei Protas, Taylor Raddysh, Dylan Strome, and Trevor van Riemsdyk each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Pierre-Luc Dubois, Lars Eller, and Tom Wilson each led the team in assists with 2 while Alexander Ovechkin led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Logan Thompson was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 1 goal on 20 shots with 19 saves and a .950 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 244 goals this season averaging 3.6 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 175 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 44-15-8 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 their home ice with their 21-7-6 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Red Wings haven't looked great in their games this season with their 32-29-6 record overall which has them in 6th place of their division in the East and out of a playoff spot. They haven't been a great road team either with their 14-14-3 road record this year. They are still in the Wild Card race and they are coming off a huge win over the Golden Knights in their last one, but they haven't looked good lately and have been in a complete free fall, sliding away from the playoff race. They are coming off a win over the Golden Knights, but that was a win they needed badly as they are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games. The Capitals haven't been hot themselves lately, but they are still 6-4-0 in their last 10 games and coming off a win over the Sharks in their last one. The Capitals have also been one of the best teams in the NHL all season and have been really consistent, not going on many losing streaks this year. The Red Wings are starting to cool off at the wrong time and the Capitals can take advantage of them in this bad slump. 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 Tuesday, March 18, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Capitals 5 Red Wings 2.
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NHL Betting Trends
Detroit Red Wings: 61-67 (+5.5 units) on the moneyline revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite. 19-16 (+4.8 units) on the moneyline after allowing 1 goal or less in their previous game. 56-50 (+13.5 units) on the moneyline off a win in their previous game. 20-13 UNDER on the road revenging a same season loss vs opponent.
Washington Capitals: 61-57 (-7.5 units) on the moneyline in home games. 4-14 (-12.6 units) on the moneyline after a blowout win by 4 goals or more. 56-43 (-7.3 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a losing record. 17-9 UNDER after playing 3 consecutive road games.
Key Injuries
Detroit Red Wings: C. Mazur (LW) Out - Upper Body. 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
“At the end of the night, the scoreboard was a really good thing for our team. It was a good night for a lot of our players, which should give us some confidence.” - Todd McLellan after his team’s win against the Golden Knights in their game on Sunday.
"Second period, I thought we got pushed a little bit. Started to get a little careless in the second. The first period, we knew in this building, we needed to have a fast start, and that's exactly what we did." - Spencer Carbery after his team’s win against the Sharks in their game on Saturday.
Starting Lineups
Detroit Red Wings
LW Elmer Soderblom
C Dylan Larkin
RW Lucas Raymond
LD Ben Chiarot
RD Moritz Seider
G Petr Mrazek
Washington Capitals
LW Alex Ovechkin
C Dylan Strome
RW Tom Wilson
LD Rasmus Sandin
RD John Carlson
G Charlie Lindgren
Statistical Leaders
Detroit Red Wings
Points: L. Raymond (69)
Goals: A. DeBrincat (31)
Assists: L. Raymond (46)
GAA: A. Lyon (2.78)
Washington Capitals
Points: D. Strome (65)
Goals: A. Ovechkin (34)
Assists: D. Strome (44)
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.
