Washington vs. Anaheim: NHL Match Prediction
Anaheim away series continues. On January 15, the Ducks will play in the US capital after a tough win in Raleigh. Few believed in the Ducks' success, but they were able to surprise all hockey fans and earned two points in the match against Carolina. The Capitals have been scoring points for seven games in a row and continue to strengthen their leadership in the Eastern Conference table. Are the Californians capable of giving Washington a fight? This is in the betting tip for the meeting

Match announcement

Washington Capitals

Current form
Washington continues to strengthen its position as the leader of the Eastern Conference. The team from the US capital has scored 61 points in 43 games and is in first place in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of New Jersey and Carolina by five and six points, respectively. The hosts have a couple of games in hand, so they can create an even more impressive handicap from the Devils and Hurricanes if they continue to win. The Capitals have been alternating wins and losses for a long time, but have been scoring points for seven games in a row. In the last home series, Alexander Ovechkin team beat Vancouver (2:3, OT), but a day later they could not finish Montreal (4:1). Less than a day later, the Caps confidently beat Nashville in Tennessee (4:1). Ovi scored another puck into an empty net and came even closer to Wayne Gretzky record.
The Capitals have had trouble converting their chances from time to time and have scored only seven goals in regulation time in their last three games. Alexander Ovechkin slowed down after his impressive return to action, but he ended his drought with a goal into Nashville empty net, scoring his 20th goal. Dylan Strome remains Washington top scorer with 46 points (12+34).
Charlie Lindgren was injured in the game against Montreal, so Logan Thompson will now be the home team starting goalie. The Canadian was very good in January and allowed only four goals in the last three games. The goalie has stopped 91.92% of shots this season, but has not yet left the ice without allowing a goal. Hunter Shepard was called up from the AHL, but it is unlikely that this hockey player will appear on the ice, unless force majeure occurs.
Disqualifications and injuries
Charlie Lindgren, Sonny Milano, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie will not take part in the upcoming fight.
Interesting trends for betting
- Washington is averaging just 27 shots per game.
The Capitals don't shoot a lot, but they convert 13.3 percent of their shots.
- The capital team earns 8.28 minutes of penalty time per match.
The hosts are often sent off, but play well in the minority and cope with many of their opponents' attempts

Anaheim Ducks

Current form
The Ducks are trying to get back into the fight for a playoff spot, but they currently sit in 12th place in the Western Conference. Anaheim has only 41 points in 43 games, with the visitors trailing eighth-place Vancouver by seven points. The Ducks played well in their last series of games on their home court, but had a terrible start on the road. Greg Cronin men were routed in Missouri by St. Louis (2:6), and then suffered a crushing defeat in Pennsylvania by Philadelphia (0:6). The visitors did not give up and came to Raleigh as a deep underdog. This only spurred the team from California, who clenched their fists and beat the Hurricanes (3:2, OT).
Anaheim offense has not been consistent this stretch of the season. The Ducks have scored more than twice in a game only once in their last six games, and they have only managed to make 18 accurate shots since the start of the year. The participation of the visiting team leading scorer Troy Terry is in question for the next game, but he is no longer on the injured list. The American scored 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) and is the only player in the league top 100 scoring players.
The Ducks are allowing 3.14 goals per game this season, but have been a little more reliable on the road. Lukas Dostal remains the team starting goalie and made 35 saves against the Canes. He has a .911 save percentage and has just one shutout in 26 starts. John Gibson could be benched after a poor performance in Pennsylvania.
Disqualifications and injuries
Trevor Zegras and Tomas Suchanek will not be able to take part in the upcoming meeting due to injuries.
Interesting trends for betting
- Anaheim is getting 8.53 penalty minutes per game.
Ducks are usually eliminated at least four times per game.
- Anaheim has a 26-35 goal-against ratio in the second period.
The Ducks have been very ineffective in the second twenty minutes and rarely score goals in it.
Trends
Bet 1st period: total under 1.5 goals
Three of Anaheim last five games have seen fewer than two goals scored in the first period.
1.77Bet 3rd period: Anaheim will score
The Ducks have scored in the third period in five of their seven games.
1.68Tip and bets
Anaheim has surprised many times and did it again in Raleigh. The Ducks had a weak start in the away series, but sensationally beat Carolina on the road. Now Troy Terry, who is the best scorer of the club from the state of California, should return to the lineup and will definitely add some spice to the Ducks' offense. Washington does not always win confidently. Alexander Ovechkin squad earned points in all games in the new year, but only in two of six matches in January did the Capitals win by more than one goal. We think that the underdog will put up a fight and will not lose in a landslide.
Prediction - Anaheim win with Asian handicap (+1.5) for 1.85
Bet on individual total
Charlie Lindgren was injured in the game against Montreal, so now the Caps have an option with Logan Thompson, or they will have to put Hunter Shepard, who has not yet taken the ice this season. For the visitors, this is a great chance to show their attacking skills. The Ducks have someone to score, especially since Troy Terry, who scored a lot of points during the regular season, is missing from the injury list.
We bet on Anaheim individual total of more than two goals with a coefficient of 1.70
Total Bet
The last games involving the ducks turned out to be extremely productive, because the guests began to concede a lot. We think that Washington will underestimate the opponent and will make mistakes in defense. Last season, the teams played twice and scored 11 goals between them. We think that this time the match will be bright and neither team will sit back in defense.
We take the total over 5.5 pucks with a coefficient of 1.80