Capitals vs Blackhawks

With Chicago riding a three-game winning streak and Washington having failed to win consecutive games since its six-game run ended on December 5, the moneyline price of Washington -150 and Chicago 125 looks a bit generous to the home side. The Capitals are down multiple impact forwards – Tom Wilson is still day-to-day after exiting last week’s meeting with the Blackhawks, and Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois remain sidelined – which leaves more of the offensive burden on a 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin and secondary scorers like Dylan Strome. Chicago, meanwhile, has found a formula that works even without Connor Bedard, with Tyler Bertuzzi driving a suddenly potent attack and Spencer Knight stabilizing the crease, and Bedard is at least a possibility to return tonight as a high-end boost. The Blackhawks just beat this same Washington group 3-2 in a shootout on the road behind Knight’s 32 saves, and now bring that confidence home to United Center, where their 10-8-4 mark and improving five-on-five play make them a live underdog despite a season-long negative goal differential. With both clubs hovering around the playoff bubble at roughly the halfway mark, hunger should not be an issue, but the combination of Chicago’s current form, home-ice advantage and Washington’s injury-thinned top six makes Blackhawks 125 my preferred side at this number. Grade: B. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/01/2026 09:23

For the total, the same recent trends that tilt me toward Chicago also nudge me toward a low-event script, even though these teams’ season-long averages sit just above six combined goals per game. Washington’s recent results include a 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago and a 4-1 home defeat to Dallas, and outside of the wild 7-4 win over Anaheim this has looked like a group winning and losing tight, defense-first games, especially now that their attack is missing three of its top offensive drivers in Wilson, Protas and Dubois. Chicago’s three-game winning streak has likewise been built on tight scorelines, including the 3-2 win over Washington and a 3-2 overtime win over Vegas, with Knight and Arvid Soderblom supplying reliable goaltending behind a defensive structure that has finally stopped bleeding chances. With Logan Thompson carrying a goals-against average around 2.40 for Washington and Knight in the mid-2s while the Blackhawks await Bedard’s full return, there’s enough high-end goaltending and enough missing firepower to expect another 3-2 or 4-1 type game. At a flat 6 with both sides priced at -118, I slightly prefer Under 6, leaning on the combination of recent under-friendly results, current injuries and playoff-style intensity to suppress scoring. Grade: B+. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/01/2026 09:23

Given how often Washington has been living on the knife’s edge lately, the puckline sets up as a more conservative way to back Chicago’s competitiveness than the moneyline itself. The Capitals have not put together consecutive wins since early December and have been involved in a string of one-goal games, including last week’s 3-2 shootout loss to these Blackhawks, while Chicago’s current three-game surge has featured back-to-back 3-2 victories driven by strong goaltending and timely finishing. With Washington’s forward group still missing Wilson, Protas and Dubois, Alex Ovechkin forced to shoulder heavy offensive lifting, and the Blackhawks potentially adding Bedard back to a lineup that already leans on Bertuzzi, Teravainen and a deep center group, there are plenty of reasons to expect another close contest rather than a Capitals blowout. Logan Thompson and Spencer Knight have both posted strong seasons behind structured defenses, and with Chicago playing at home in a game that matters for both teams’ playoff hopes, asking Washington to clear a -1.5 number feels ambitious. At current prices – roughly Capitals -1.5 at 162 and Blackhawks +1.5 at -200 – I prefer taking the plus goals with Chicago and banking on this staying within one either way. Grade: A-. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/01/2026 09:23