Capitals vs. Senators Prediction & Odds
High flying Metropolitan Division side, Washington Capitals takes on the struggling Atlantic Division side, Ottawa Senators on 22 December.
Going into this match, both teams know that they cannot afford to lose. However, as a contest, it means there is always going to be a winner and at the same time, there is going to be a loser. As such, let’s preview this NHL match to see which team is likely going to rise and which one is likely going to fall.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals will be hosting the Ottawa Senators and as the home side, the onus is on the Washington Capitals to take the game to their rivals. Based on current form, there is no reason to suggest otherwise; the Washington Capitals have been flying high and as such, the team does have the confidence going into this match. In its past six league matches, the Washington Capitals managed to win on five occasions (against the Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Hurricanes and Sabres) and lost just one match (against the Penguins). The defeat against the Penguins came in the Washington Capitals’ last match and as such, the team will be looking to bounce back at home against a struggling Ottawa Senators’ side. It is against this background why bookmakers such as 888 are tipping Washington Capitals to win this match with 13/25 odds against the Ottawa Senators’ 8/5 odds. Players looking to place their bets can do so thanks to the NHL betting selection at 888 Sport NJ.
Ottawa Senators
In recent times, the Ottawa Senators have been struggling immensely. The team has been losing games in as much as it has been winning. When in a precarious position such as the position that the Ottawa Senators find itself in (seventh on the Atlantic Division log) and just two points from the bottom, confidence is of utmost importance but unfortunately, they can’t seem to string together a decent run of wins. In the past six matches, the Ottawa Senators have won three matches (against the Predators, Red Wings and the Penguins) and lost three matches (against the Bruins, Predators and the Canadians). This lack of consistency is the one element which is costing the Ottawa Senators and if not rectified quickly, then it might lead to the relegation of the team. In the immediate future though, the Ottawa Senators’ lack of consistency makes the team less likely to win its upcoming match against the Washington Capitals at least according to the bookmakers.
Key Players
While the game of hockey is a team sport, at times, the brilliance of individual players may be all it takes for a team to win. As such, let’s take a look at the key players for each team heading into the upcoming match.
Going into the match, Washington Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin is their key player. So for this season, Ovechkin has the highest number of points in the team (43) and the highest number of goals (23).The other key players for the Washington Capitals are Nicklas Backstrom who has the most assists (30) and Michal Kempny who has the best penalty minutes (30).
For the Ottawa Senators, their key player is Mark Stone who has recorded the highest number of points as well as the highest number of goals (39 and 16 respectively). Thomas Chabot is also another important player having provided the most assists (26) while Mark Borowiecki has the best penalty minutes (43).
Head to Head Record
When it comes to the head to head record, there isn’t much that separates the Washington Capitals from the Ottawa Senators. The Washington Capitals have won on 26 occasions with the Ottawa Senators winning on 22 occasions. There has just been a single tie between these two teams. Further to this, these two teams make an average of 5.7 goals per match.
Verdict
The Washington Capitals vs. Ottawa Senators match is a tale of two teams; one team is flying high while the other is finding it hard to string a set of decent results. What we can deduce from this is that the high flying team, i.e. the Washington Capitals, is expected to come out victorious.
