Capitals vs Hurricanes Game 3 Odds, Start Time & Expert Prediction (May 10)

• Carolina hosts Washington in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Playoff series Saturday night with a special start time of 6 p.m. ET at the Lenovo Center.

• The Hurricanes haven’t led a game at any point this series, but the series is tied at 1.

• I’m taking the lead with my expert prediction for Game 3 between the Hurricanes and Capitals, plus tips on the best odds.

The Washington Capitals (51-38 ATS) go for their first win in Raleigh since 2023 when it faces Carolina (40-49 ATS) Saturday for Game 3 of their playoff series at 6 p.m.

Carolina has outshot the Capitals 61-35 in the series and is 1.5-goal favorites on the puck line. Both games have hit the under in this series.

We’ve got an early start time for Game 3, and I have insights on the odds and a prediction for Saturday night’s clash between the Canes and Caps.

Capitals vs Hurricanes Game 3 Start Time

Remember on weekends, the NHL tweaks the game schedule to fit games into the primetime window. The official start time for Game 3 between the Canes and Capitals is 6 p.m. with the puck drop probably around 6:10 p.m. Edmonton/Vegas Game 3 will follow.

The start time for Game 5 back in Washington Thursday, May 15 will be 7 p.m.

Carolina has not lost a home game in the playoffs this season and also swept every home game against the Capitals when they played in the 2019 playoffs.

Capitals vs Hurricanes Game 3 Odds

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Carolina is again favored by 1.5-goals in this series on the puck line. The total is 5.5. Both teams are 2-5 over/under in the 2025 playoffs.

The home team is 8-0 against the puck line in the last eight meetings between these two teams. Washington covered in Game 1 and Game 2. The Capitals are happy being the underdog. They’re 22-12-3 as underdogs this season.

Carolina has covered the puck line in 26 of its last 46 home games. They’re 35-11 at home straight up and 16-0 against Metropolitan Division opponents in their last 16. So the data favors Carolina, but can they cover?

I found the best moneyline bet on Carolina is -194 at FanDuel. The best moneyline value for Washington is at Bet365 with +175.

Capitals vs Hurricanes Game 3 Prediction

• Capitals +1.5 (-160 at bet365)

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I’ve played the Capitals in each of the first two games of this series and been rewarded and see no reason to stop now. On the moneyline, I predict Carolina to win.

Washington just became the first team in almost 20 years to put together back-to-back games with more than 30 blocked shots. That means shots just aren’t getting through for Carolina and I can’t see them getting more than two or three goals. Washington goalie Logan Thompson had a 96.4 save percentage in Game 2 and is seeing the puck well.

The Caps offense hasn’t been much. Alex Ovechkin has four shots for Washington in the first two games. Agitator extraordinaire Tom Wilson had the key assists in the Game 2 win and I bet Carolina is going to try to rough him up in Game 3. But Carolina has controlled possession the whole series and I see them with a 3-2 win tonight.