Free Picks: Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers

As the NHL season continues to wind down, the offensive capabilities of Washington have ramped up. Known for their shooter mentality and goalscoring ability, Washington has quickly become one of the most dangerous offenses in the entire league. Tuesday night, a shaky Flyers’ defensive corps will look to smother the Capitals on offense – a relatively rare feat this season.

The Flyers’ season started off on the right foot but has since declined. A team poised for the playoffs is on the outside looking in when it comes to the NHL playoffs.

But for the Flyers, a team that has scored 122 goals this season, a lot of their insecurities as a team have fallen on the defensive end. That may shock some hockey fans as Carter Hart and the rest of the Flyers’ backend was spectacular last season, but it’s been a reality in 2021.

Tuesday night is another opportunity for Philadelphia to right the ship. Unfortunately for them, they are playing the top team in their division.

The Washington Capitals are ready for another playoff run. But Ovechkin and the rest of the Capitals know that no team can be taken lightly.

With that being said, I think this might be one of my easiest wagers on BetPicks. The Flyers are dreadful on defense and the Capitals are scoring machines. Put those two together and you have yourself an NHL prediction.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Capitals are the favorites in this game. While I try to look at value and potential upsets, I don’t see that happening in this contest. The Flyers are 1-3 against Washington this season. In those games, Philly’s offense has shown up, but it’s been the backend that has deflated the team.

Philadelphia’s only win against the Capitals this season was a game in which they scored 7 goals. In the other games, The Flyers scored 3 and 4 goals respectively, and couldn’t muster a victory. The Flyers have an identity crisis on defense that has been exposed by opposing teams.

With Washington crowned the highest-scoring team in the NHL right now, I think taking the Capitals straight up will be your best NHL bet for this contest. You can also look at the over in total goals for Washington at 3.5 if you want an alternate bet.

Washington is mediocre on defense, but the Flyers are horrid. Cap that off with Washington’s elite offensive capabilities, and I am confident in the Caps taking this game.

• Washington are 7-2 SU in last 9 games at home.
• The Capitals have won 3 straight games against Philadelphia.
• Philadelphia are 2-5 SU in last 7 games.
• The Flyers average 4.33 goals against in last 3 games versus Washington.