by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Nov 03, 2022
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Where to watch: Bally Sports Detroit, NBC Sports Washington
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Capitals -120, Red Wings +100
FanDuel: Capitals -120, Red Wings +100
BetMGM: Capitals -133, Red Wings +110
Caesars: Capitals -130, Red Wings +110
Season record
Capitals: 5-4-2 (12 points)
Red Wings: 4-3-2 (10 points)
What an electric start to the NHL season. So much parity, so many good teams through the first 10-plus games, you have every right to be excited! Of course the Vegas Golden Knights and Boston Bruins are heading the fun charge here as the top two teams in the league, because of course they are. But never count out the Avalanche, you know they're always going to be hanging around and will be eating worlds once they get everyone healthy. But this is a good time to be playing these hockey games, as well. Look no further than our own Vegas Writer off to a 14-11-0 start over the first 30 days of the NHL season. There's also ASA, Inc. posting a 10-5-1 mark through the first month. You know you can trust our champion handicappers to get you across the finish line with your NHL bets. Check out our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what we're throwing down!
Capitals - Red Wings preview, prediction and analysis
Recent results
Capitals: lost 3-2 (OT) vs. Golden Knights; lost three of four (1-1-2)
Red Wings: lost 8-3 at Sabres; lost three of four
Well, this has been very much a week of games that the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals would like to forget as time goes on. I'm thinking the Red Wings would like to have the flash machine used in Men In Black and forget about what's happened after their hot start, but I digress.
The Red Wings and Capitals will try to bounce back and get back on track when they meet in Detroit on Tuesday, and one thing's for sure: Detroit is absolutely glad to be getting back home after Tage Thompson nuked them 8-3 in Buffalo the other night. I had to face Tage Thompson in fantasy this week and let me tell you it was not a good time.
But hey, of the three goals scored, Dylan Larkin had one, as did David Perron. Goaltending was non-existent because Derek Lalonde left poor Alex Nedeljkovic to face ALL EIGHT GOALS SCORED ON HIM BECAUSE HE IS A MAD MAN.
"We didn't show up and they showed up," Larkin said. "No matter what level of hockey you play, you don't show up it's going to be embarrassing. We've got to find it; 'it' meaning the pride of. You get in the games, one-goal game there in the third [period], two-goal game, like, let's go, let's win battles, let's make it an even game. We just lost way too many battles tonight."
I guess that's why the Red Wings got Ville Husso? He's certainly been the better option than the guy that's received Calder votes for two consecutive years in what's been the more humiliating part of this whole run for the latter.
"We hung our goalie out to dry tonight, which is, that [stinks]," Andrew Copp said. "They make it 5-3, OK, 6-3, but you can't let it go past that. Just unacceptable."
At least the Capitals aren't in that boat. They're just hurt and trying to salvage what they can in a year where Alex Ovechkin may cross 800 goals at some point, all while Washington feels it has a group -- now with Darcy Kuemper -- to get back to a Stanley Cup Final. But the Caps have lost three of four and are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at home on Tuesday, the second night of a back-to-back in which Washington played on the road in Raleigh the night before -- also a 3-2 loss (via shootout) to the Carolina Hurricanes.
"It's extra frustrating just because I thought we played well enough to get the two points, especially on the back end of a back-to-back against a really good team," backup goalie Charlie Lindgren said after making 28 saves in the loss. "We put ourselves in a really good spot and I think that's what stings the most, is knowing that we were really close to getting two."
Well, this has been very much a week of games that the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals would like to forget as time goes on. I'm thinking the Red Wings would like to have the flash machine used in Men In Black and forget about what's happened after their hot start, but I digress.
The Red Wings and Capitals will try to bounce back and get back on track when they meet in Detroit on Tuesday, and one thing's for sure: Detroit is absolutely glad to be getting back home after Tage Thompson nuked them 8-3 in Buffalo the other night. I had to face Tage Thompson in fantasy this week and let me tell you it was not a good time.
But hey, of the three goals scored, Dylan Larkin had one, as did David Perron. Goaltending was non-existent because Derek Lalonde left poor Alex Nedeljkovic to face ALL EIGHT GOALS SCORED ON HIM BECAUSE HE IS A MAD MAN.
"We didn't show up and they showed up," Larkin said. "No matter what level of hockey you play, you don't show up it's going to be embarrassing. We've got to find it; 'it' meaning the pride of. You get in the games, one-goal game there in the third [period], two-goal game, like, let's go, let's win battles, let's make it an even game. We just lost way too many battles tonight."
I guess that's why the Red Wings got Ville Husso? He's certainly been the better option than the guy that's received Calder votes for two consecutive years in what's been the more humiliating part of this whole run for the latter.
"We hung our goalie out to dry tonight, which is, that [stinks]," Andrew Copp said. "They make it 5-3, OK, 6-3, but you can't let it go past that. Just unacceptable."
At least the Capitals aren't in that boat. They're just hurt and trying to salvage what they can in a year where Alex Ovechkin may cross 800 goals at some point, all while Washington feels it has a group -- now with Darcy Kuemper -- to get back to a Stanley Cup Final. But the Caps have lost three of four and are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at home on Tuesday, the second night of a back-to-back in which Washington played on the road in Raleigh the night before -- also a 3-2 loss (via shootout) to the Carolina Hurricanes.
"It's extra frustrating just because I thought we played well enough to get the two points, especially on the back end of a back-to-back against a really good team," backup goalie Charlie Lindgren said after making 28 saves in the loss. "We put ourselves in a really good spot and I think that's what stings the most, is knowing that we were really close to getting two."
Prediction
This should be a fun goalie battle if it goes the way we all expect it to. Kuemper can play well on the road, and Detroit needs a strong Husso performance. I think this will be a good test of resolve for the Red Wings after that clunker in Buffalo.
Betting trends
Capitals are 21-15 off a non-conference game the last three years.
Capitals are 23-13 off a home loss the last three years.
Capitals are 34-24 the last three years after allowing three goals or more in two straight games; 3-1 this year.
Red Wings are 36-47 off a division game the last three years; 2-0 this season.
Red Wings are 13-9 after allowing six goals or more the last game over the last three years; 0-1 this year.
Projected lines
Capitals:
Alex Ovechkin -- Dylan Strome -- Conor Sheary
Marcus Johansson -- Evgeny Kuznetsov -- Connor McMichael
Aliaksei Protas -- Lars Eller -- Anthony Mantha
Beck Malenstyn -- Nic Dowd -- Garnet Hathaway
Dmitry Orlov -- Trevor van Riemsdyk
Martin Fehervary -- Nick Jensen
Erik Gustafsson -- Matt Irwin
Darcy Kuemper
Alex Ovechkin -- Dylan Strome -- Conor Sheary
Marcus Johansson -- Evgeny Kuznetsov -- Connor McMichael
Aliaksei Protas -- Lars Eller -- Anthony Mantha
Beck Malenstyn -- Nic Dowd -- Garnet Hathaway
Dmitry Orlov -- Trevor van Riemsdyk
Martin Fehervary -- Nick Jensen
Erik Gustafsson -- Matt Irwin
Darcy Kuemper
Red Wings:
Adam Erne -- Dylan Larkin -- Lucas Raymond
Dominik Kubalik -- Andrew Copp -- David Perron
Filip Zadina -- Joe Veleno -- Matt Luff
Elmer Soderblom -- Pius Suter -- Givani Smith
Ben Chiarot -- Moritz Seider
Olli Maatta -- Filip Hronek
Robert Hagg -- Jordan Oesterle
Ville Husso
Adam Erne -- Dylan Larkin -- Lucas Raymond
Dominik Kubalik -- Andrew Copp -- David Perron
Filip Zadina -- Joe Veleno -- Matt Luff
Elmer Soderblom -- Pius Suter -- Givani Smith
Ben Chiarot -- Moritz Seider
Olli Maatta -- Filip Hronek
Robert Hagg -- Jordan Oesterle
Ville Husso
Statistical leaders
Capitals:
Points: Alex Ovechkin -- 9
Goals: Alex Ovechkin -- 5
Assists: Dylan Strome -- 7
Goalie: Darcy Kuemper -- 4-3-1, 2.39 GAA, .922 SV%
Red Wings:
Points: Dylan Larkin -- 11
Goals: Dylan Larkin -- 5
Assists: Dominik Kubalik -- 7
Goalie: Ville Husso -- 3-1-1, 2.40 GAA, .926 SV%
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
