The Scotiabank Saddledome is the site for a cross-continent matchup as the Washington Capitals visit Calgary to take on the Flames. The match will get going at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 27, and you are able to see it live on Sportsnet ONE.
Washington Capitals at Calgary Flames Odds
Washington (-105) is playing the role of underdog to Washington (-115) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 7 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).
Losing 0.1 units for moneyline bettors, Calgary is 5-5 straight up (SU) overall thus far. That win percentage, ranked second in the Pacific Division so far in the early season, hasn’t moved much from what the team managed during the 2017-18 season (37-45). Among the team’s 10 games this season, six have gone over the total, while four have gone under and none have pushed. The team is 2-2 SU at home this season.
The Flames have converted on just 14.6 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that places them in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 23rd overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 72.2 percent of all penalties.
As a collective unit, the Flames have been penalized just 3.7 times per game this season. Last year, they posted the second-worst mark in the league with 4.4 penalties per game. After serving an average of 11.2 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team has had to stave off opponent power plays for only 8.1 minutes per outing this season.
Sporting a .866 save percentage and 23.0 saves per game, Mike Smith (3-4) has been the top goalkeeper for Calgary this season. If head coach Bill Peters chooses to give him the day off, however, the team might go with David Rittich (2-3-3 record, .933 save percentage, 2.37 goals against average).
Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk will both lead the offensive attack for the Flames. Gaudreau (12 points) has produced five goals and seven assists and has recorded multiple points on three different occasions this year. Tkachuk has three goals and nine assists to his credit and has notched a point in seven games.
Washington is 4-5 straight up (SU) and has lost 1.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through nine regular season contests, six of its games have gone over the total, while three have gone under the total and none have pushed. The Capitals are 1-3 SU as an away team this season.
The Caps have scored on 37.5 percent of their power play chances this year after successfully converting on 24.1 percent of their extra-man opportunities last season (which ranked them fifth in the league in that category). The team’s gone from killing off 79.4 percent of opponents’ power plays (ranked 19th overall last season) to 72.2 percent this year.
Washington’s players have been whistled for penalties 4.6 times per game this season. Last season, that number was at 4.0, which was the seventh-highest mark in the league. After serving an average of 9.5 penalty minutes per game a year ago (seventh-most in the league), the team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays for 9.8 minutes per outing this season.
Braden Holtby (3.41 goals against average and .888 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for Washington. Holtby is averaging 24.8 saves per game and has four wins, four losses, and two OT losses to his credit.
John Carlson (five goals, nine assists) has been one of the most vital playmaking threats for the visiting Capitals.
Washington Capitals vs. Calgary Flames Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Flames, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Trends
The Flames are 0-2 SU when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Capitals are 0-3 SU in games where they serve more minutes than their opponent.
After winning three of their four shootouts last year, Washington is off to a 0-1 start in shootouts this season. Calgary went 2-5 in shootouts last year and has yet to participate in one this time around.
The over has hit in three of Calgary’s last five games.
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