NHL Odds: First-Place Capitals Visit Florida

With the All-Star Game just around the corner, the 28-15-5 Washington Capitals find themselves in a familiar place: on top of the Metropolitan Division. Their last game before the break is Thursday night (7:30 PM ET) in Miami against the Florida Panthers, who are falling out of contention in the Atlantic at 19-20-6. Both teams should provide an interesting encounter as they are evenly matched. Still, when these two teams met in DC on October 21, the Panthers won 4-1 as +120 underdogs on the moneyline. James Reimer (.910 save percentage) was in goal for Florida that day, and he’s projected to start Thursday’s game as well, with No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo (.928 SV%) still recovering from an undisclosed lower-body injury. The Panthers are healthy otherwise. Philipp Grubauer (.917 SV%) took the loss for Washington in their first meeting with the Cats. No. 1 starter Braden Holtby (.916 SV%) will likely get the nod on Thursday, and while his performance level hasn’t been much better than Grubauer’s, the Capitals will have enjoyed three days off before facing Florida. The Panthers will be in Dallas this Tuesday to play the Stars before coming back home. Washington also skates into Thursday’s matchup with zero injuries to report.

NHL Odds: Capitals at Panthers

The Capitals (28-20 ATS, +4.82 units) head into the All-Star break as favorites against the Panthers (19-26 ATS, -6.84 units). Expect Braden Holtby (.916 SV%) versus James Reimer (.910 SV%) in goal, with Washington rested and Florida coming off a Tuesday game in Dallas.

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