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Capitals vs. Oilers Prediction, Picks & Player Props for Tonight's NHL Game

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: January 21, 2025 12:00 PM EST • 2 min 53 sec read.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl against the Vancouver Canucks as we offer our Capitals vs. Oilers prediction, picks, and player props.
Pictured: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl against the Vancouver Canucks. Photo by Bob Frid via Imagn Images

Robin will be without Batman when the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Washington Capitals to Rogers Place on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+). 

Connor McDavid will be serving the first of his three-game suspension and won't be available against the Capitals, leaving Hart Trophy odds front-runner Leon Draisaitl to his own devices. The Capitals, boasting the league's best points percentage (.728), have won four straight and march into Edmonton to play an Oilers team that has won 11 of its last 12 home games.

Our Capitals vs. Oilers prediction, picks, and player props expect goals to be at a premium in what should transpire like a playoff tilt. 

Capitals vs. Oilers predictions today

NHL odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

  • Game pick: Under 5.5 goals (-105 via Betway) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Leon Draisaitl player prop pick: Over 2.5 shots (-134 via Betway) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My best Capitals vs. Oilers pick

Under 5.5 goals ⭐⭐⭐

In McDavid's absence, Kris Knoblauch's squad must be all hands on deck defensively. Earlier this season, the Oilers conceded two goals per game in three contests without their captain. Edmonton must play a tighter-checking brand of hockey on the rare occasions McDavid isn't available. 

Not only are the Oilers marginally better defensively without No. 97, but they're also missing his 1.51 points per game and the countless scoring chances he creates.

And it's not like they're slouches without the world's best hockey player, as the Oilers have the fifth-best home defensive record since Nov. 23, allowing 2.08 goals per game. They've allowed just eight goals in the last six home contests. 

Capitals go Under more than a scuba diver 

Washington prides itself on defense, which is evident based on its league-best 2.43 goals against per game. The Caps are among the top 5-on-5 defenses, allowing the fourth-fewest goals per 60 minutes (2.02).  

Logan Thompson is also in top form, playing like a Vezina Trophy odds candidate over the last five weeks. The Capitals No. 1 has allowed more than two goals in two of his last 10 starts. During that stretch, he has posted a 1.43 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage. Both are league-bests.  

The last six Washington games had five or fewer goals, and I expect Spencer Carbery's squad to enter proceedings hellbent on proving they can match the Stanley Cup odds favorites step for step. To do that, they must prevent the Oilers from finding open ice. 

I like the odds of this contest being as defensive as somebody accused of a crime they didn't commit. A winning $10 bet will profit $9.52. 

Best odds: -105 via Betway | Implied probability: 51.22%

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Best Capitals vs. Oilers player prop pick

NHL picks made Tuesday; odds subject to change.

Leon Draisaitl prop pick: Over 2.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Draisaitl hit the Over on this prop in two of three games the last time McDavid wasn't available. He has fired at least three shots on goal in seven of the last nine games overall, mirroring his Over ratio in the previous nine games at Rogers Place. 

That's a 78% Over rate at home and overall in that stretch.

Draisaitl is usually an offensive machine when McDavid doesn't play. Then again, he's a monster when the captain plays, too, but I'm veering away from his anytime goal prop due to the Caps' recent stingy defensive play. A winning $10 bet will profit $7.46. 

Best odds: -134 via Betway | Implied probability: 57.26%

Capitals vs. Oilers odds

Odds via Betway.

MarketCapitalsOilers
Moneyline+120-140
Puck line+1.5 (-236)-1.5 (+165)
Over/UnderOver 5.5 (-115)Under 5.5 (-105)

Capitals vs. Oilers injuries

Capitals vs. Oilers live odds & info

  • When: Tuesday, Jan. 21
  • Puck drop: 9 p.m. ET
  • Where: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alta.)
  • How to watch: ESPN+
  • Favorite: Oilers (-140 via Betway)

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Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.