Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals: NHL Best Bets (4/21)

Two more series begin tonight in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and here we will be discussing the Washington Capitals hosting the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs haven't been to the playoffs since 2021, where they made it all the way to the Finals before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. For three straight years, Montreal finished dead last in the Atlantic, but now they battled and fought their way back into the postseason.

However, they matchup against the Capitals who won the Metro Division this season, and lead the Eastern Conference in points. The Caps also took two of the three meetings with the Canadiens this season, winning the first two while losing the third. Washington beat Montreal 6-3 on Halloween in DC, and then went on to beat them in early December in Montreal. However, the Canadiens did get a little revenge on the road in January, where they were able to beat Washington in overtime by a score of 3-2.

But this is playoff hockey. Things are different. The Canadiens haven't been here for a few years, while the Capitals are hungry to escape the first round, something they haven't done since they won the whole thing in 2018. Will Ovi and company set the tone in Game One tonight at home? Or will the Habs show some heart to open the series?

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Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals: Game One

Matchup Information – Canadiens vs Capitals

• Venue & Location: Capital One Arena (Washington, DC)
• Date: Monday, April 21st, 2025
• Puck Drop: 7:00pm Eastern
• Broadcast: ESPN

Betting Odds

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Puck Line

• Canadiens +1.5 (-162)
• Capitals -1.5 (+142)

Money Line

• Canadiens +163
• Capitals -183

Total

• Over 6 (-108)
• Under 6 (-108)

Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals Best Bets

Canadiens vs Capitals Prediction: Capitals Win, Over 6

Best Bets: Capitals in Reg (-116) Bovada

I'm backing the home team to get the job done in 60 short minutes tonight. Montreal held Washington to just 17 shots on goal in their last meeting, but prior to that, the Caps had peppered 34 and 35 shots on net in the previous two games, resulting in 10 total goals. They've gone over their shot total season average twice against this team, and tonight I see them letting the offense loose.

I do lean with the Capitals TT Over 3.5 (+100) as well as the full game over six, but regardless, I see Washington handling business quickly. To be quite honest with you, I could see this series ending in four games, as the Capitals are playing extremely well. Plus, the return of Logan Thompson will certainly help the defense.

Washington won an incredible 51 games this regular season, and they have a +56 goal differential to show for it. While we should applaud the Canadiens for making the postseason, this is a very tough first round draw. The Capitals are looking to give Mr. Ovechkin another Stanley Cup to hoist, and that starts with a victory tonight at home.

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