There is nothing better than a Friday night divisional matchup in a tight playoff race. Tonight, the Philadelphia Flyers hop over to Washington, D.C., where they face off against an underperforming Washington Capitals team trying to climb back into the standings. Here are the numbers:
Odds
Puck Lines
- Philadelphia -1.5 (+210)
- Washington +1.5 (-258)
Over/Under
- Over 6 (-110)
- Under 6 (-110)
Money Line
- Philadelphia (-120)
- Washington (+100)
Miscellaneous
- 60 Min. Line – Philadelphia (+130)
- Alex Ovechkin Under .5 Points (+130)
- Philadelphia First Period Goals Over .5 (-155)
- Neither Team to Score 4 goals (+125)
Predictions
Tyson Foerster. Bobby Brink. Sean Walker. Sam Ersson.
Who are your breakout players of the year for this Philadelphia Flyers squad? In past seasons, it was difficult to name even one person that emerged as a reliable piece of the roster. Perhaps, Carter Hart was the only name that that frequently came to mind, keeping the Flyers in games regardless of the monumental breakdowns that would happen in front of him. This season, however, it seems like there are a dozen players who fit the mold.
In Tuesday night’s absolute dismantling of the the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Flyers saw impressive performances from several players. Even with the absence of Travis Konecny, the Orange and Black put six goals on the board for the second game in a row–the previous game being a 7-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Different from the Penguins game, however, was the presence of Sam Ersson instead of Cal Petersen, who has since been sent down to Lehigh Valley.
As we said before the Lightning game, every point matters from now until the end of the season. Yet, some matchups matter more than others, namely, (1) should-win matchups against bad teams, (2) opportunistic matchups against good teams, and (3) divisional matchups.
Tonight presents a game of the latter category. The last time these teams faced off, the Flyers grabbed a shootout win. Tonight, the Flyers hope to yield even fewer points to a Capitals team that sits only six points back. Here are our picks:
Picks
60 Min. Line – Philadelphia (+130)
- This one is fairly simple. We think that this game will play out in one of two ways–the Flyers will either win in regulation or lose in regulation. It seems unlikely that back-to-back matchups between these teams will result in extra hockey. We take the Flyers in 60.
Alex Ovechkin Under .5 Points (+130)
- You might not have heard, but Alex Ovechkin is a good hockey player. He is on track to break numerous NHL records, and he has almost singlehandedly carried this Capitals team to success for the last several seasons. With that said, Ovechkin is on pace to record his fewest points per season since 2016-17 (not counting the shortened COVID year), currently averaging a career-worst 0.78 points per game. Since DraftKings Sportsbook is giving us plus money on the Under .5 Points at +130, we are taking a chance that tonight will be a quiet one for the future hall of famer.
BSH Pick Record
32-28-1
