NHL Betting – Game 1 – Tampa Bay at Washington. The Washington Capitals are favored in NHL betting as they begin their semifinal playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Capitals are -170 favorites to win the series against Tampa Bay and they are also favored to win Game 1 on Friday night. Make your NHL bet right now at the Sbg global sportsbook.
Capitals -175, total 5.5 under
Washington is a heavy favorite to win Game 1 on Friday night. These teams know each other very well as they played six times during the regular season. Many of the games during the regular season were shootouts so gamblers making an NHL bet may choose to bet the over. The Capitals won the first two by a combined 12-3 but the teams split their last four games.
Goaltending Matchup
The Lightning has the 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson while the Capitals go with rookie Michal Neuvirth. It would seem that Washington has the edge but Roloson was great against Pittsburgh. He will need to keep up that high level if Tampa is to have a chance against the Capitals.
Potent Scorers
Two of the top scorers in the league are in this series as Washington has Alex Ovechkin while the Lightning has Steven Stamkos. The Capitals may not have as much scoring depth as the Lightning so that could be something to watch. The Capitals would get a boost if Mike Knuble is able to return from injury. In the regular season the Lightning had 10 players who scored at least 10 goals or more. In the series against Pittsburgh they had six players who scored at least two goals.
The Capitals are led on defense by Mike Green who actually had a good series against the Rangers. The Lightning looks pretty good on defense in the series against Pittsburgh led by Eric Brewer.
Game Notes
The Lightning is 2-9 in NHL betting in the last 11 meetings in Washington. The Lightning is 4-1 in their last 5 games as an underdog. The Lightning is 4-1 in their last 5 road games. The Capitals are 16-5 in their last 21 games as a favorite. The Capitals are 55-26 in their last 81 home games. The Over is 6-2-2 in Tampa Bay’s last 10 overall. The Under is 21-6-1 in the Capitals last 28 home games. The Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.