Blackhawks vs Capitals Prediction, Pick, Odds & How to Watch Friday Night Hockey (Apr. 4)

• The Capitals are massive -380 home favorites over the Blackhawks on Friday Night Hockey
• Washington leads the NHL in scoring, while Chicago ranks 30th in goals allowed
• See our Blackhawks vs Capitals prediction and pick, plus the latest odds and how to watch, below

The Washington Capitals (48-18-9) host the lowly Chicago Blackhawks (21-44-10) on Friday night, as Alex Ovechkin inches closer to NHL history. Online sportsbooks heavily favor the Caps, installing them as -380 moneyline chalk in the NHL odds.

Puck drop from Capital One Arena is set for 7:00 pm ET, with NHL Network carrying the broadcast. For those in Canada looking to tune-in, Sportsnet will carry the action.

Blackhawks vs Capitals Prediction

My prediction is that this game soars over the 6.5 goal total. Chicago owns the second-worst record in the NHL and has completely fallen apart defensively of late. They’ve surrendered a whopping 21 goals over their last four contests and rank tied for 30th in goals allowed per game (3.59) on the season.

The Blackhawks’ road woes have been a constant theme, stumbling to a dismal 7-24-5 record away from the United Center. Netminder Spencer Knight, acquired at the trade deadline from Florida, has struggled mightily in Chicago. He’s posted an .878 save percentage and 3.34 goals against average over nine appearances with the Hawks.

While Chicago’s blue line inspires no confidence, their power play has quietly been a bright spot down the stretch. The Hawks convert at a 24.6% clip with the man advantage, good for 9th best in the NHL. They’ve scored a power play goal in three straight and should get ample opportunities against an undisciplined Caps squad that averages over 9 penalty minutes per game.

On the flip side, no team fills the net better than Washington. The Capitals pace the league in scoring, averaging a robust 3.60 goals per game. They’ve notched 271 goals in total, which trails only Winnipeg and Dallas. Expect their urgency to be high in this spot after losing four of five games for the first time all season.

Blackhawks vs Capitals Team Stats

Of course, the biggest storyline is Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goals record. Ovi sits just three tallies shy of breaking the Great One’s mark of 894, and you can bet he’ll be firing early and often. The Capitals’ captain has goals in three straight games and should feast on a Chicago penalty kill that ranks 23rd overall (76.8%).

The Blackhawks allow the third-most shots per game (31.1), while Washington generates the sixth-most (31.6). Both teams surrender a high volume of quality chances, with Chicago ranking dead last in high-danger attempts against. Expect plenty of back-and-forth action as a result.

If you’ve been betting Blackhawks’ Overs all season, you’d be solidly in the green. The Over is 37-29 in their games, good for +4.5 units of profit. The Caps also tend to play high-event hockey, especially against inferior opponents. Washington is 9-1 to the Over in its last 10 against teams with a losing record.

Blackhawks vs Capitals Pick

• 🔒 Best Bet: Over 6.5 Total Goals (-118 at DraftKings)

All signs point to a track meet at Capital One Arena on Friday night. The Over has hit in four of Chicago’s last five games, while also cashing in four of Washington’s last five. I’m not overthinking this one – smash the Over and enjoy what should be a wildly entertaining affair.

If you want a bet on Alex Ovechkin, check out our Friday Ovechkin props article, where we analyze his odds to score a goal and a hat trick vs the Blackhawks.

Blackhawks vs Capitals Odds

Odds as of April 4th at DraftKings. Browse the available NHL betting apps for Friday Night Hockey.

The Over 6.5 goals is available at -118 odds at DraftKings, which is the best price I could find amongst major online sportsbooks. DraftKings also offers an intriguing prop on total goals in the first 10 minutes, with Over 0.5 priced at -166. Given the explosive potential of these offenses, that’s certainly in play as well.