Capitals vs Avalanche Odds, Lines & Best Bets (Jan 24)

• The Colorado Avalanche host the Washington Capitals in Tuesday NHL action
• The Avs have won five straight, while the Capitals look to halt a January swoon
• Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of Tuesday’s matchup at Ball Arena

The Colorado Avalanche look to return to the playoff picture in the Western Conference with a sixth straight victory when they return home to host the Washington Capitals in Tuesday NHL action. The defending Stanley Cup champions completed the sweep of a three-game road trip with Saturday’s 2-1 victory in Seattle, and now sit just two points back of the Calgary Flames in the race for the second wild card in the West. The Capitals wrap up a three-game road trip after being outclassed in Saturday’s 6-2 loss in Vegas which marks the fourth defeat in their past six outings.

Start time is set for 9:00 ET at Ball Arena, with all the action televised on Altitude Sports, NBC Sports Washington, and Sportsnet ONE.

The Avalanche kick off a three-game home stand perched as -145 home favorites in the NHL odds, while the Caps lag as +122 underdogs. The total is pegged at 6.0, with the UNDER emerging as a shortened -120 bet.

Capitals vs Avalanche Odds

Odds as of January 24th at Caesars Sportsbook.

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Capitals vs Avalanche Recent History

Tuesday night’s matchup marks the second final meeting of the season between these clubs. The Avalanche romped to a decisive 4-0 victory when they visited Washington on November 19. However, the Capitals have otherwise dominated in head-to-head action, winning 12 of their previous 14 clashes including six of their past seven dates in Colorado.

The total has topped 5 just once in their past four clashes. Accordingly, the UNDER has paid out on three occasions over that stretch, and in each of the past three matchups between these teams in Colorado.

Washington Capitals Betting Outlook

The Capitals’ struggle to produce consistent results has continued during their current road trip. After opening their current junket with a dominating 4-0 victory in Arizona, the Caps fell flat in Saturday’s date with the Golden Knights, spotting Vegas an early 5-0 lead on the way to a disappointing 6-2 defeat. With that loss, the Capitals have now failed to record consecutive wins during a middling 5-5-2 run since December 27. However, they still sport a solid 9-2 SU record over their past 11 road dates.

Positive sign seeing ⁦@ovi8⁩ on the ice before ⁦@Capitals⁩ practice today in Denver pic.twitter.com/vAz0LGglqd

— Al Koken (@RealSmokinAl) January 23, 2023

Not surprisingly, Washington’s recent inconsistent run has featured sporadic offensive production. The Caps have potted just 2.38 goals per game over their past eight overall contests. However, the club’s shooters have been far more free-wheeling on the road while averaging almost four points per game over their past five away games.

Injuries and unscheduled absences remain a concern for this club. Alex Ovechkin returned to practice on Monday after missing Saturday’s clash in Vegas due to a lower-body injury, but remains listed as questionable for Tuesday night. The Capitals are also without TJ Oshie, who has returned to Washington to be with his wife, who is expecting their fourth child.

Colorado Avalanche Betting Outlook

The Avalanche continued their steady rise up the standings with another sterling defensive performance in Saturday’s 2-1 shootout win over the Kraken. Colorado has now surrendered just six total goals over their current 5-0-0 run, and now ranks eighth in the NHL with a team goals-against average of just 2.71.

Caught up with #Avs Cale Makar (upper body injury) to discuss his health status.

“Maybe tomorrow, we’ll see.”

He does expect to play in the All-Star game. pic.twitter.com/SkuORobdzX

— Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson) January 23, 2023

While the goaltending tandem of Alexandar Georgiev and Pavel Francouz have steadily stymied opponents during the current win streak, Avs shooters have rediscovered their scoring touch, scoring four or more goals on five occasions, and averaging 5.67 goals per game over the team’s past three home dates.

Nathan MacKinnon once again emerged as the hero in Saturday’s victory in Seattle, settling matters with the lone goal scored in the shootout. Mackinnon failed to get on the scoresheet during regulation time, but has turned in multi-point performances on seven occasions while racking up five goals and 17 points so far in January.

The Avalanche should also get a boost from the return of Cale Makar. The talented rearguard has been upgraded to probable on Tuesday after missing the past three games with an upper-body injury.

Capitals vs Avalanche Prediction

The Avalanche face a stiff test against an increasingly desperate Capitals squad that has managed to remain in the playoff hunt on the strength of steady road success. However, with the Capitals shorthanded and the Avs returning home on a roll at both ends of the ice, Colorado is poised to record consecutive wins over Washington for the first time in a decade.

The Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+170); OVER 6 (+100)