The Washington Capitals (1-0) will host the Montreal Canadiens (0-1) in Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs first round on Wednesday. The Habs rallied for two third-period goals on Monday night to send Game 1 into overtime, but Alex Ovechkin sealed the deal for Washington with a goal right in front of the crease. The Caps also took two out of three against the Canadiens during the regular season.
Puck drop from Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. is set for 7 p.m. ET. Washington is a -183 favorite on the money line (risk $183 to win $100) in the latest Capitals vs. Canadiens odds, while Montreal is the +153 underdog (risk $100 to win $153). The over/under for total goals scored is 5.5, and the Capitals are also -1.5 (+142) on the puck line. Before making any Canadiens vs. Capitals picks, be sure to see the NHL predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times. It enters the first full week of the 2025 NHL playoffs a combined 78-54 on top-rated NHL puck line and over/under betting picks, returning nearly $1,600 for $100 players. Anybody following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
Now, here are three best bets for Capitals vs. Canadiens on Wednesday:
Canadiens +1.5 on the puck line (-172)
Montreal has seven players on its roster who are making their NHL playoffs debut, but the lack of experience didn’t keep Martin St. Louis’ men from rallying late against an experienced Capitals team. The Habs have now held the Caps to a one-goal advantage in back-to-back meetings, which could be why the SportsLine model has them covering the puck line in 60% of simulations.
You’ve seen one of the best bets for Canadiens vs. Capitals on Wednesday. Now, get picks for every game from the model that ended the season going a combined 77-53 on over/under and puck-line picks.
Alex Ovechkin anytime goalscorer (+115)
The Great 8 has scored nine goals in nine games through the month of April, including the game-opener and game-winner on Monday evening. He has three goals in three games overall against Montreal this season, bringing his career playoff goal total to 74 in 152 postseason tilts. Ovechkin is listed at +115 at DraftKings Sportsbook to score at anytime in Game 2.
Want more NHL picks for Wednesday? Matt Severance is SportsLine’s No. 1 NHL expert, entering the NHL playoffs on a 120-62 roll on NHL sides picks, returning $2,490 for $100 players. See his best bet for this matchup at SportsLine.
Cole Caufield 1+ points (-128)
The Wisconsin native has registered at least one point in eight of 10 games in the month of April. He was also responsible for Montreal’s third-period rally on Monday, when Patrik Laine set him up for a wrist shot to get the Habs on the scoreboard. Caufield is listed at -128 at FanDuel Sportsbook to tally at least one point in Game 2 on Wednesday.
