The Philadelphia Flyers visit the Washington Capitals for the second half of a back-to-back.
The pregame narrative: With both backup goalies likely getting the start today, I expect this game to go over the projected total. I’m also taking Jakob Chychrun to record at least one point.
Check out our Flyers vs. Capitals picks for the game on Oct. 23.
Flyers vs. Capitals picks
Go to full NHL betting markets.
Best bet: Over 6 goals (-109)
Much of the reasoning for this pick lies with the goaltending.
Ivan Fedotov is expected to start for Philly, and he hasn’t been good early in his career. He has allowed five or more goals in both outings this season and has an .818 SV%.
Things weren’t any better for him last year, when he had a 4.96 GAA and .811 SV% in three appearances.
Washington’s offence has been buzzing out of the gates. It ranks fifth in goals per game (4.0) and has an opportunity to fill the net tonight.
Logan Thompson takes the crease for the Capitals. The former Golden Knight allowed five goals in his last start against the New Jersey Devils but his team scored six and got him the win. That is a testament to Washington’s efficiency in the attacking zone.
Thompson has an .877 SV% and has allowed at least two goals in both starts.
Key stat: The over on this line is 3-0-1 this season in games where these goalies started.
Quick pick
Chychrun to record 1+ point (+140): I like the value here for a guy playing in Washington’s top defensive pairing.
Chychrun is on the ice a lot, averaging 21:30 of time per game. Only John Carlson plays more (26:02), but he has -157 odds to record a point, so I’d much rather get behind Chychrun in this market.
The tandem plays together in 5-on-5 scenarios, and all four of Chychrun’s points have come at even strength.
Again, I also like the over and believe the Capitals can contribute a lot of goals. If that’s the case, one of the Capitals’ top defencemen should find his name on the score sheet.
NHL picks made at 10:08 a.m. ET on 10/23/24.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.