The Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11) and Washington Capitals (51-22-9) will meet in Game 1 of their NHL playoffs series tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Capitals are favored at -185 on the moneyline, with the Canadiens are +155 to pull off the upset. The over/under set at 6 (-110o / -110u).
Let's get into our Canadiens vs. Capitals predictions and NHL picks.
Canadiens vs. Capitals Prediction
- Pick: Lane Hutson Over 0.5 Points
Our Montreal vs. Washington best bet is on Lane Hutson to score over 0.5 points, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
Canadiens vs Capitals Odds
| Canadiens Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -165 | 6 -110o / -110u | +160 |
| Capitals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +140 | 6 -110o / -110u | -190 |
- Canadiens vs. Capitals puck line: Capitals -1.5 (+139 ), Canadiens +1.5 (-165)
- Canadiens vs. Capitals over/under: 6 (-110o / -110u)
- Canadiens vs. Capitals moneyline: Canadiens +155, Capitals -185
- Canadiens vs. Capitals best bet: Lane Hutson Over 0.5 Points
Canadiens vs. Capitals Preview
By Greg Warren
Lane Hutson is the runaway favorite for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie after compiling 66 points in 82 games this season for the Montreal Canadiens. He recorded at least one point in 47 of those 82 games (57% hit rate) and in 19 of his final 30 (63% hit rate) regular-season contests.
Now, the 21-year-old will be making his NHL playoff debut Monday against the Washington Capitals, who have allowed just 1.7 points per game to opposing defensemen (the sixth-least in the NHL) this season. However, Hutson has managed to put up at least one point in each of his three games against the Habs this season, including a pair on Halloween night in Washington.
Hutson, who will be quarterbacking Montreal’s power play on the top unit Monday, is virtually a lock to play at least 25 minutes in the series opener, barring injury or a blowout scenario either way.
Another slight benefit for the chances of Hutson recording a point is the possibility that Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson isn’t 100% after sustaining an upper-body injury on April 2 against Carolina. Thompson was the first goaltender off the ice Monday at practice, but he might not be sharp after not seeing any game action in nearly three weeks. If Thompson encounters a setback leading up to puck drop or at some point throughout the game, Montreal’s chances of scoring goals will increase slightly with Charlie Lindgren (2.73 GAA, .896 SV%) in between the pipes for Washington.
Best Bet: Lane Hutson Over 0.5 Points (-115 at FanDuel)
