There are only two games on the NHL betting board this Friday including a clash between the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues.
Oddsmakers are expecting a close game at Enterprise Center with this game opening as a pick'em. Here are our best free Capitals vs. Blues NHL picks and predictions for Friday, January 7, with the puck dropping at 8 p.m. ET.
Capitals vs Blues odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
This line opened as a pick'em with the total at 6. The line has stayed relatively steady while the Over/Under has ticked up to 6.5. The last time these teams faced off, in October of 2019, the Capitals won 3-2 in overtime as +139 road underdogs.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Capitals vs Blues predictions
- Prediction: Capitals moneyline (-110)
- Prediction: Under 6.5 (-110)
- Best bet: First period Under 1.5 (+120)
Predictions made on 1/7/2022 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Capitals vs Blues game info
• Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
• Date: Friday, January 7, 2022
• Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Midwest, NBCS-DC
Capitals vs Blues betting preview
Injuries
Capitals: Dmitry Orlov D (Probable), Ilya Samsonov G (Questionable), Connor McMichael C (Questionable), Dennis Cholowski D (Out), Anthony Mantha RW (Out).
Blues: Vladimir Tarasenko (Out), Jake Walman D (Out), Scott Perunovich D (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Capitals vs Blues head-to-head record since 2016-17
Capitals: 5-2, 25 goals for.
Blues: 2-5, 22 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Capitals are 27-13 in their last 40 road games. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Blues.
Capitals vs Blues picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Moneyline analysis
The Blues are coming off a loss to the red-hot Penguins but have still gone an impressive 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. They are fifth in the Western Conference, with a point percentage of .632, although that number would rank just eighth out east.
The Capitals haven't played since a January 2 overtime loss to the Devils and have gone 6-2-2 in their previous 10 contests. They are second in the Metropolitan Division and have the league's fifth-best point percentage at .706. The Caps have gone through their fair share of injuries and players on the protocol list but they are starting to get healthy and have a ton of firepower up front, led by the ageless wonder Alex Ovechkin.
Washington has been filling up the net at even strength, ranking fourth in the NHL in goals for per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 hockey. The Caps have also gotten strong play from their blueliners and goaltenders while Blues netminder Jordan Binnington has struggled with a GAA of 3.00 behind a lineup that ranks 21st in the league in high-danger chances allowed per 60 minutes.
It's up in the air who will start for the Caps in net tonight, with Vitek Vanecek making his return from the protocol list and Ilya Samsonov listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury. Both goalies are solid options, with Samsonov boasting a 2.64 GAA with a .908 save percentage in 19 games and Vanecek having a 2.51 GAA with a .910 SV% in 16 contests.
The Blues have been better than the Caps with the man-advantage but they rank just 25th in the league in expected goal for percentage in 5-on-5 play while Washington ranks 12th. Their offense will also take a step back, with leading scorer Vladimir Tarasenko landing on the COVID list yesterday. With the Caps going 27-13 in their last 40 games on the road, back them on the moneyline.
Prediction: Capitals moneyline (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The Caps are 11-4-1 O/U in their last 16 games but they haven't seen a game with a total this high since November 6. This total has ticked up to 6.5 from the opening number of 6 and while both these teams can put the puck in the net, that might be a tad too high.
Keep in mind that Washington has allowed 2.59 goals per game, the sixth-lowest number in the league and both these squads are terrific at killing penalties. The Caps are fourth in the NHL in net penalty kill percentage, while the Blues rank fifth.
With the Blues missing their top scorer and cashing the Under in four straight games at home, we're leaning towards the Under.
Prediction: Under 6.5 (-110)
Best bet
While both of these squads are among the higher-scoring teams in the NHL, they are also among the best teams in the league when it comes to goals allowed in the first period. The Caps have allowed the third-fewest first-period goals in the league (19 in 34 games) while the Blues have allowed the sixth-fewest (22 in 34).
St. Louis also ranks a modest 18th in the league with 26 goals scored in the opening period before erupting for a league-high 48 goals during the second frame. Take the Under on the first period total.
Pick: First period Under 1.5 (+120)
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