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Capitals vs Hurricanes 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Lines & Game 3 Preview

Written by on April 15, 2019

NHL Betting News

For the most part, the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs has not been going the way of the series favorites. This is especially true for the #1 seeds in each conference, although one has it way worse than the other. The Calgary Flames, the top seed in the Western Conference, allowed the Colorado Avalanche to come in and steal away the home-ice advantage, with that series knotted at 1-1 after the first 2 games. Things are way worse for the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they are now on the brink of elimination after digging themselves into an 0-3 hole.

One series that is going to plan is the one that sees the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals up against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was the Capitals who dominated the regular season series with their Metropolitan Division rivals, and that has now carried over into the postseason, with the Caps winning both home games to take a 2-0 series lead. The series moves to Carolina on Monday night, with the Hurricanes looking to get back into it as a 1 ½ goal favorite. The O/U for this one is set at 6.

Capitals vs Hurricanes 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Lines & Game 3 Preview

Why bet on the Washington Capitals?

As we mentioned earlier in this piece, this is a match-up that the Capitals have totally dominated. Besides winning the opening two games of this series, Washington also won all 4 games in the regular season series, which makes it a little surprising to see them in as the underdog for Game 3.

That said, during this 6-game winning streak, the Capitals won 3 of the games by a single goal, so it’s not as if it has been a total blowout in every game. That kind of streak can make a team feel as though they can’t lose, though, so the Caps should be a confident bunch going on the road, where they were 24-15-2 in the regular season. They were not a great ATS pick in the regular season, going 21-20 on the road.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Goals: 3.40
  • Shots: 30.29
  • PP/PK Percentage: 20.90

Defense

  • Goals: 3.02
  • Shots: 31.44
  • PP/PK Percentage: 20.82

Why bet on the Carolina Hurricanes?

The Hurricanes are in a real hole now after losing the opening two games of the series on the road in Washington, and while you hate to paint any game as a must-win, this is almost certainly what Game 3 is for the Hurricanes. When you have only 2 wins in the last 10 meetings with your playoff opponent, going down 0-3 is almost certainly a death sentence.

Capitals vs Hurricanes is going to be a close one.

The Hurricanes did come close to getting the steal on the road that they wanted, taking Game 2 to OT before finally going down 4-3. Oddly enough, the last 5 meetings between these two that have gone to OT or shootout have all been won by the Washington Capitals. The Hurricanes went 24-13-4 on home ice this season, as well as 21-20 ATS.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Goals: 2.98
  • Shots: 34.26
  • PP/PK Percentage: 17.65

Defense

  • Goals: 2.75
  • Shots: 28.49
  • PP/PK Percentage: 18.62

Capitals vs Hurricanes 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Trends

  • Capitals are 11-3-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
  • Capitals are 63-42 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons
  • Hurricanes are 30-16 ATS second half of the season this season
  • Hurricanes are 15-16 ATS in a home game where the total is 6 or more this season
  • 8 of 14 games in this series have gone Over the Total over the last 3 seasons

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I think we are looking at another close game here, which is why taking the Capitals against the spread may well be the best bet in this one. The Hurricanes might just steal one at home, but I’m not sure this is it.

Score: Washington Capitals 3 – Carolina Hurricanes 2

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