Capitals vs. Hurricanes Prediction, NHL Odds & Best Bets (10/13)
Fact checked at 5:36 AM ET, Oct 13, 2026
Odds as of Oct 13, 5:33 AM ET
Carolina (5-1-1) has the most points in the Eastern Conference and has won five straight since Washington beat it 5-2 in Raleigh on Oct 2. Now the Capitals (3-2-0) come back to Lenovo Center short-handed. Pierre-Luc Dubois (illness) didn't travel, defenseman Matt Roy is on injured reserve, and Rasmus Sandin is on long-term injured reserve after ACL surgery. Alex Tuch sat out Monday's practice for maintenance, though coach Spencer Carbery said he would assume Tuch plays. Washington also hosts Montreal on Wednesday, so this is the front end of a back-to-back. Carolina is missing Seth Jarvis (injured reserve) and Alexander Nikishin, and Jordan Staal is day to day after sitting out Sunday's game.
Carolina is -162 on the moneyline and -1.5 at +160, Washington is +136, and the total is 6.5 (Over +105, Under -125). The consensus moneyline has moved from -152 at Sunday's open to -160. Puck drop is 6:45 PM ET on CARNHL, HHN and MNMT.
We expect Carolina to have the puck most of the night. It has taken 31.9 shots a game and allowed 21.4 over seven games, while Washington has taken 27.6 and allowed 28.4 over five, and the Capitals are now without a top-six center and two defensemen. That kind of game should be a quiet one for Alex Ovechkin, whose minutes are already down, and a comfortable one for Carolina on the scoreboard.
Neither goalie is confirmed. Logan Thompson is expected for Washington. Carolina has been alternating Brandon Bussi (.871 save percentage) and Pyotr Kochetkov (3-0, .912), which would make it Bussi's turn, although one projection has Kochetkov. Which one starts matters more for the puck line than for the shots prop.
Capitals vs. Hurricanes Predictions
- Pick #1: Alex Ovechkin Under 2.5 Shots on Goal (-110)
- Pick #2: Hurricanes -1.5 (+160)
PICK #1: Alex Ovechkin Under 2.5 Shots on Goal (-110)
Ovechkin is playing a smaller role than he did a year ago. Last season he averaged 17:27 a night and put 244 shots on goal in 82 games, about three a game. This season his ice time reads 12:46, 13:34, 14:05, 13:57 and 16:56, and his shots read 1, 0, 2, 2 and 3. That's four of five under 2.5 and 1.6 a game. He's on a line with Ilya and Aliaksei Protas and on the first power play, and in the Oct 2 game in Raleigh he managed one shot in 12:46.
He also draws the team that gives up the fewest shots: Carolina allows 21.4 a game, the lowest rate in the league. The Over is -125, which looks like a price built on last season's volume, and the Under at -110 implies 52.4%. We'll take the shooter he has been this year.
Sunday is the worry. With Dubois and Roy both out against Seattle, Ovechkin got 16:56, took three shots and scored his first goal of the season. Dubois is out again, so more ice time could come his way, and a Washington team chasing the game will shoot more.
PICK #2: Hurricanes -1.5 (+160)
Carolina has won by two goals or more in four of seven games: 6-4 at Montreal, 7-2 over Vancouver, 5-2 at Chicago and 4-1 at Philadelphia. It has outshot opponents by 73, scores 3.86 goals a game (fourth in the league) and allows 2.43. Washington has given up 2.8 goals and 28.4 shots a game with Roy out for three of its five games, and it now loses Dubois as well. The +160 price puts Carolina's chance of covering at 38.5%.
This isn't a lock. Carolina's schedule has been soft: Philadelphia (twice), Chicago and Vancouver have a combined record of 3-15-2. Carolina is 1-1-1 at home, and one of those losses was to this Washington team. A one-goal win, like the 3-2 overtime win at Philadelphia on Oct 3, loses this bet, and a Bussi start adds some risk. The puck line runs for the full game, overtime included, and an empty-net goal often settles it.
The two picks are tied together. Both need Carolina to control play, and if Washington spends the night in the Carolina end, both lose.
21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
