Hurricanes vs Capitals Game 5 Prediction, Lineups & Odds (May 15)

• The Carolina Hurricanes can eliminate the Washington Capitals in Game 5 on Thursday night
• Carolina is favored on the road, while the desperate Caps try to extend the series at home
• Read on for my Hurricanes vs Capitals Game 5 prediction with odds, analysis and projected lineups

The Carolina Hurricanes have a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Final when they visit the Washington Capitals for Game 5 of their second-round series on Thursday night. The Hurricanes vs Capitals Game 5 odds slightly favor Carolina on the road.

Carolina (56-26-8) took control of the series with back-to-back home wins, including a 5-2 victory in Game 4. The Hurricanes lead the best-of-seven 3-1 and would reach the Conference Final for the second time in three seasons with a win. Washington (51-27-8) faces a must-win elimination scenario and hopes to shift momentum back on home ice, where they’re an impressive 37-4 this year.

Puck drop from Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, with national coverage available on TNT, truTV and MAX.

Hurricanes vs Capitals Game 5 Prediction

While the Capitals have their backs against the wall, my Hurricanes vs Capitals Game 5 prediction sees value on a low-scoring affair. The series has trended heavily to the Under, with three of the first four contests featuring fewer than six total goals. The lone outlier was Game 4, which featured a five-goal third period in a Canes rout.

Goaltending has been superb on both sides. Carolina’s Frederik Andersen leads all netminders this postseason with a 1.41 GAA and .945 save percentage across eight starts. Washington’s Logan Thompson hasn’t been far behind, posting a 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage. With the season on the line, expect both to be at their best.

Carolina’s aggressive forecheck and pressure has given the Caps fits, limiting them to just 19.3 shots per game — the lowest of any team in the second round. The Canes have controlled play at 5-on-5, ranking second leaguewide in high-danger chances this postseason. Washington has struggled mightily to generate offense, mustering only six total goals and two 5v5 tallies from forwards through four games.

Discipline has also played a key role in the series. The Hurricanes have successfully killed 10 of Washington’s 12 power play opportunities, while both teams are averaging fewer than three power plays per game. The lack of man-advantage scoring chances reduces the likelihood of quick goals that could swing momentum or push the score over the total.

From a betting market perspective, the public is backing the Over, yet the Under is juiced to -120. That indicates more overall money from sharper bettors is expecting a low-scoring Game 5, especially with the Caps’ season on the line. In elimination scenarios, trailing teams often play conservatively early to avoid critical mistakes. A tight-checking start seems probable.

Ultimately, the Under 5.5 is my top play for Game 5. Washington’s pop-gun offense inspires little confidence, while Andersen gives Carolina a clear advantage if the game stays close. The Under is 5-2-1 in the past eight Caps-Canes matchups overall and 3-1 in this series. Expect that trend to continue.

• Pick: Under 5.5 Goals (-120 at BetMGM)

Hurricanes vs Capitals Game 5 Odds

Here are the latest Hurricanes vs Capitals odds for Game 5 from Sports Interaction:

Odds as of May 17 2025. Check out NHL betting apps for the best odds on Canes vs Caps.

The Hurricanes are solid road favorites at -190 on the moneyline, meaning a $190 bet would return $100 in profit if they win. The Capitals are +155 underdogs — a $100 wager nets $155 in winnings if they extend the series.

Carolina is +140 to cover the -1.5 puck line and win by 2+ goals. Washington is -170 to either win outright or lose by a single tally. The total is set at 5.5 goals, with solid -120 juice to the Under compared to +100 on the Over.

Hurricanes vs Capitals Game 5 Lineups

Hurricanes Projected Lineup

Forwards
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Jack Roslovic – Logan Stankoven
Jordan Martinook – Jordan Staal – William Carrier
Eric Robinson – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Jackson Blake

Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Brent Burns
Dmitry Orlov – Jalen Chatfield
Shayne Gostisbehere – Sean Walker

Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Pyotr Kochetkov

Injuries: Mark Jankowski (undisclosed)

Capitals Projected Lineup

Forwards
Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier
Aliaksei Protas – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Tom Wilson
Andrew Mangiapane – Connor McMichael – Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime – Nic Dowd – Taylor Raddysh

Defense
Rasmus Sandin – John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun – Matt Roy
Alex Alexeyev – Trevor van Riemsdyk

Goaltenders
Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren

Injuries: Martin Fehervary (lower body), Sonny Milano (upper body)

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