The Washington Capitals (7-7-2) and Tampa Bay Lightning (7-6-1) meet Sunday at Amalie Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN).
The Capitals surprised the Lightning 5-1 in the front-end of the back-to-back games on Friday night in D.C. It’s been feast or famine for Washington lately, scoring 5 goals apiece in 2 of the last 3 games, while scoring 2 or fewer goals in 3 of the previous 5 outings.
The Lightning have dropped 2 in a row, getting outscored 8-3 during the span. Tampa Bay is looking to avoid its first 3-game losing streak since an 0-2-2 skid from April 2-8 last season. The Lightning haven’t lost 3 in a row or more in regulation since March 19-24.
Capitals at Lightning odds
- Moneyline (ML): Capitals +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Lightning -180 (bet $180 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Capitals +1.5 (-175) | Lightning -1.5 (+140)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
Capitals at Lightning projected goalies
Darcy Kuemper (5-6-1, 2.35 GAA, .920 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (4-5-1, 3.11 GAA, .901 SV%)
Kuemper stopped a 4-start winless streak with a win against the Lightning Friday night, stopping 28 of the 29 shots he faced. He is 1-3-0 with a 2.27 GAA and .916 SV% this month, mostly the victim of a lack of offensive support. Prior to the 5-goal explosion of support Friday, the Caps offense had scored just 4 goals for him in the last 3 games.
Vasilevskiy allowed a season-high 5 goals on just 24 shots in the ugly loss in Washington, and he’ll be champing at the bit to redeem himself. He has allowed 3 or more goals in 6 straight games, as he just hasn’t been right lately.
Capitals at Lightning picks and predictions
Prediction
Lightning 4, Capitals 3
Moneyline
The Lightning (-180) are right at my personal limit for a standalone money line play. However, I can’t trust Tampa Bay as such a heavy favorite with the way Vasilevskiy is playing lately. He just hasn’t been himself.
On the flip side, I can’t trust the Capitals (+145), either, as the offense won’t do what it did Friday night.
AVOID.
Puck line/Against the spread
The CAPITALS +1.5 (-175) are the better play at this price, as Vasilevskiy is on a 6-game streak allowing 3 or more goals. Until he starts to play better for the Lightning -1.5 (+140), Tampa Bay should be avoided.
I don’t like Washington straight up, but for a little insurance on the puck line here, they’re not priced out of line.
Over/Under
OVER 6.5(-108) is a decent play with the way Vasilevskiy has been going, which sounds crazy to say. Normally he is a shutdown backstop who rarely has a poor game. Eventually he is going to snap into form and rattle off several wins, perhaps even a handful of shutouts. However, Vasilevskiy is not showing anything close to that kind of form.