Before the puck drops at 7:00 PM ET in Thursday’s contest between the Washington Capitals and the Minnesota Wild, here are the best bets you should be thinking about, whether you’re looking to make a single wager or have your sights set on putting together a parlay.

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Capitals vs. Wild Picks

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Total Pick

Pick OU: Over 5.5 (model projecting 6 goals)

• This season, Washington games have gone over this one’s 5.5-goal total 21 times.
• This season, 18 of Minnesota’s games have featured more than 5.5 goals.
• The over/under for this game (5.5) is 1.1 less than the combined scoring averages for the Capitals (3.65) and Wild (2.95).
• This game’s total is 0.2 more than the 5.3 goals these two teams allow per game combined.

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Moneyline Pick

Capitals Moneyline: -148

• In the 17 times this season the Capitals have been favored on the moneyline, they have gone 12-5 in those games.
• When playing with moneyline odds of -148 or shorter, Washington is 8-4 (winning 66.7% of the time).
• The Capitals have a 59.7% chance (based on the moneyline’s implied probability) to win this contest.

Wild Moneyline: +125

• In Minnesota’s 13 games playing as the moneyline underdog this season, it has five wins.
• The Wild have four wins in games when their moneyline odds are +125 or longer (in nine such games).
• Minnesota has a 44.4% implied probability to win this game.

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Score Prediction

Prediction:
Washington 4, Minnesota 2

Capitals Points Leaders

• Dylan Strome has been critical to Washington’s offense this season, registering 40 points in 37 games.
• Having scored 16 goals and adding 16 assists, Aliaksei Protas is an important piece of the offense for Washington through 37 games.
• With 30 points through 37 games (16 goals and 14 assists), Connor McMichael has been an important part of Washington’s offensive attack this season.
• Across 19 games played, Logan Thompson has a goaltending record of 15-2-2. During those games, he’s allowed 44 goals while recording 494 saves.

Wild Points Leaders

• Kirill Kaprizov has totaled 23 goals (0.6 per game) and collected 27 assists (0.7 per game), taking 3.2 shots per game and shooting 19.2%. That makes him among the leaders for Minnesota with 50 total points (1.3 per game).
• Marco Rossi’s 32 points this season, including 14 goals and 18 assists, make him one of the top offensive threats for Minnesota.
• Minnesota’s Matthew Boldy has 31 points, courtesy of 13 goals (third on team) and 18 assists (second).
• Filip Gustavsson has a .924 save percentage (sixth-best in the league), with 713 total saves, while giving up 59 goals (2.3 goals against average). He has compiled a 17-6-3 record between the posts for Minnesota this season.

Capitals’ Schedule

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Wild’s Schedule

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Washington vs. Minnesota Game Info

• Date: Thursday, January 2, 2025
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• How to watch on TV: ESPN+
• Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
• Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
• Location: Washington D.C.
• Venue: Capital One Arena

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