Wild Favored Over Ovechkin, Capitals on Tuesday

NHL action is in full force on Tuesday, January 17th and to get things kicked off at 7 PM ET, the surging Minnesota Wild visit Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in a tantalizing matchup in DC at Capital One Arena. Minny is winners of two in a row, taking down the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday by a score of 2-1. They're currently up to sixth place in the West. The Caps meanwhile just broke a two-game losing skid, beating the NY Islanders in OT on Tuesday. Keep reading for the Wild vs Capitals prediction.

Before we get into the odds and predictions for this game make sure to check out our online sportsbook reviews, and the top NHL betting sites.

Wild vs Capitals Odds

	Puck Line	Moneyline	Total
Minnesota Wild	TBD	-117	Ov 6 (-103)
Washington Capitals	TBD	+106	Un 6 (-107)

The Wild head into this contest as a -117 moneyline favorite on the road. They've actually lost two of their last three away from home. The Capitals come back at +106. The total is set at six.

Minnesota is unbeaten in back-to-back games against Washington, outscoring them 8-3.

Wild Betting Outlook

The Wild are in the midst of a respectable campaign and remain in the playoff mix with a 24-14-4 record. Minnesota ranks 19th in the league in goals scored with 3.12 while also sitting 18th in shots on goal. They're not exactly a team who shines offensively, but there are a few bright spots. Kirill Kaprizov is having a monster season, leading the way with 25 goals and 27 assists in 42 games. Mats Zuccarello is playing the perfect co-star, registering 18 goals and 26 assists in 40 contests. Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy round out the attack, both sitting in double-digits in scoring. Boldy actually just signed a seven-year, $49 million extension with the Wild on Monday, too.

While it wasn't the most convincing, the Wild managed to take down the lowly Coyotes over the weekend. Both goals came in the second period, with Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau finding the back of the net. Veteran Marc-Andre Fleury was brilliant in between the posts, finishing as the first star after making 27 saves on 28 shots. After leaving DC, Minny heads to Carolina to face the second-place Hurricanes. That'll be a very good test for a team with playoff aspirations.

Capitals Betting Outlook

Washington's season has been headlined by the utter brilliance of Ovechkin. He's put his name in the record books numerous times already and just reached the 30-goal mark for the 17th season in his career, which ties ex-Cap Mike Gartner. They're the only two players in league history to reach such a feat 17 times. Ovi's dominance is a big reason the Capitals are in the playoff bubble at the moment. The Russian also has 19 assists. He's the main scorer on this roster, with three others finding the back of the net 10 or more times. Evgeny Kuznetsov is the ultimate playmaker, supplying 30 goals while bagging six of his own. DC ranks 14th in the NHL in scoring. Their defense is what stands out the most, allowing just 2.76 goals per night, which is top-10.

Peter Laviolette's squad got back on track Tuesday with a thrilling overtime victory over the Islanders. It was actually a breath of fresh air to see someone but Ovechkin produce in front of goal. TJ Oshie, Tom Wilson, Garnet Hathaway, and Dmitry Orlov all scored in this one, with Orlov playing hero in the dying seconds of the extra period. Ovi did tally an assist, though. The Caps head home with their heads held high after such a gritty win.