Hurricanes vs. Capitals Prediction, Odds and Best NHL Prop Bet for Game 1

Iain MacMillan | May 6, 2025

The Hurricanes are road favorites against the Capitals on Tuesday night. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Capitals finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference, and after getting by the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round, they'll now host the Carolina Hurricanes in their first game of the second round.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bets for the opening game of this Metropolitan Division series.

Hurricanes vs. Capitals Odds, Puck Line, and Total

Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook

Puck Line

• Hurricanes -1.5 (+180)
• Capitals +1.5 (-220)

Moneyline

• Hurricanes -140
• Capitals +115

Total

• OVER 6 (+100)
• UNDER 6 (-120)

Hurricanes vs. Capitals How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, May 6
• Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
• Venue: Capital One Arena
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN
• Hurricanes Record: 47-30-5
• Capitals Record: 51-22-9

Hurricanes vs. Capitals Best Prop Bet

• Frederik Andersen UNDER 22.5 (-105) via BetMGM

No team allowed fewer shots on goal in the regular season than the Hurricanes. They allowed just 24.77 shots on goal per 60 minutes. Meanwhile, the Capitals rank 21st in shots on goal for, averaging just 27.33 per 60 minutes. That combination could lead to Frederik Andersen not having a busy night between the pipes for the 'Canes.

Hurricanes vs. Capitals Prediction and Pick

In today's edition of "Top Shelf Picks," I broke down why I'm backing the Hurricanes to get the job done as road favorites:

The Washington Capitals got past the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the NHL Playoffs, but I didn't see enough to be convinced they're a legitimate threat to win the Stanley Cup. They had an expected goal differential of +0.26 per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play against the worst team to make the playoffs.

The Carolina Hurricanes are a completely different animal. In terms of advanced analytics, they were the best team in the NHL all season long, and now they're getting some fantastic goaltending from Frederik Andersen. This could be the 'Canes' year, and I think they get off to a hot start in the second round against the Capitals tonight.

Pick: Hurricanes -140 via BetMGM

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!