NHL Utah HC vs Capitals Picks and Odds, February 9, 2025

John Carlson, Martin Fehervary and Barrett Hayton

The Washington Capitals will host the Utah HC this afternoon at the Capital One Arena. Washington is having a great season and Utah is hanging in there considering it is their 1st year. These 2 teams last met in November and the Capitals won 6-2.

Washington is 36-11-7 this season and 1st in the Metro Division. They come into this game on a 2-game winning streak and are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. The Capitals are monsters are home with a 17-4-5 record, so I expect them to be ready to play.

Their offense has been on point this season. They rank 2nd in goals scored per game and have the best shooting percentage in the league, shooting 13.1%. Washington doesn’t pepper the net like some teams, but they sure as hell make them count.

The Capitals defense is pretty good. They rank 12th for shots on goal allowed and are 2nd best for goals allowed per game. They commit about 4 penalties per game, which is 17th in the league, but have the 4th best penalty kill to back it up.

Goaltender Logan Thompson is expected in net today. He is 24-2-4 this season with a 2.18 GAA and .923 save percentage. Thompson is the only other goalie that really compares to Connor Hellebuyck on paper.

Utah will try to bounce back after bad loss to Hurricanes

Nick Schmaltz, Logan Cooley and Alex Ovechkin

Utah HC players Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley fight for the puck from the Capitals Alex Ovechkin.

It’s been an interesting start for Utah this season, but they’ve come to play. They’re 23-23-9 this season and 5th in the Central Division. Utah comes in on the 2nd game of a back-to-back. They lost yesterday to the Hurricanes 7-3.

Utah is 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and 14-11-3 on the road this year. On offense, the team is back and forth. The return of Dylan Gunther will definitely help be a boost for the team that ranks 24th in goals scored and 19th for shots on goal per game.

Defensively, they actually play pretty decent. Utah ranks 14th in goals allowed and 13th in shots on goals allowed per game. They do commit around 5 penalties per game but have the 6th best penalty kill to back it up.

In net, goalie Connor Ingram is expected. He is 9-7-4 with a 3.16 GAA and a .885 save percentage. Ingram missed some time earlier this year due to an injury and is 3-2-1 in his last 6 starts. Let’s check out the odds and get into the picks.

Utah HC vs Washington Capitals Betting Odds and Game Information

Utah HC vs Capitals Betting Odds

Puck Line

Utah HC +1.5 (-144)
Washington Capitals -1.5 (+118)

Moneyline

Utah HC +180
Washington Capitals -220

Totals

Over 5.5 (-122)
Under 5.5 (+100)

Odds courtesy of BetOnline – Get 50% up to $1000 on your first deposit

Utah HC vs Capitals Game Information

Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Date: Sunday February 9, 2025
Puck Drop: 12:30pm EST
TV: MNMT, Utah16

Utah HC vs Washington Capitals Prediction and Picks

Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin high fives his teammates on the bench after scoring a goal.

Utah HC vs Washington Capitals Picks and Predictions: Washington Capitals Puck Line -1.5 (+118) Get 50% up to $1000 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

Give me the Capitals here and by a million. They have to be the most surprising team of the year this season. Washington has been dominating their opponents and still finding ways to win in the games they don’t.

This team is not only on a mission to win, but they are on a mission to score. As we all know, Alex Ovechkin is chasing the all-time goal scoring record, so the team is trying to find him everywhere they can. I do feel like it has opened up more opportunities for other guys and they’re taking them.

It’s always worth sprinkling Ovechkin to score a goal. It should come out around +120-135 and the team is looking to get him the puck, especially if the nets empty! I also like for the game to go under 6.5 goals. The Capitals may score 4, but I see them shutting this Utah team down and holding them to possibly just 1 goal.