The Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers will meet for the third and final time this season in what will essentially be a playoff game for both teams. The season series is tied at 1-1, and a Washington win would clinch a playoff berth for the Caps, while the Flyers would need a win – and a lot of help from other teams – to avoid missing the playoffs. Given the win-or-go-home nature of this game, fans should expect to enjoy 60 minutes of nonstop action.

Capitals vs. Flyers Odds, Spread, Moneyline, Over/Under - NHL Odds 4/16/24

Moneyline: Washington Capitals +120, Philadelphia Flyers -140
Spread: Capitals +1.5 (-210) , Flyers -1.5 (+165)
Total: Over/Under 5.5 points

NHL Schedule Today – Game info: Capitals at Flyers

2023-24 NHL Regular Season Game
Washington Capitals (39-31-11, 17-19-4 Away) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (38-32-11, 20-16-4 Home)
Date: Tuesday, April, 16
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
TV Channel: MNMT, NSPA
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Radio: 106.7 The Fan (Capitals) and 97.5 The Fanatic (Flyers) 

Capitals vs. Flyers Preview

If Washington wins this game on Tuesday night, then the Capitals will clinch the NHL Eastern Conference’s final wild-card playoff spot. Philadelphia, meanwhile, still has an outside shot at a playoff berth, but its to-do list – in terms of help the Flyers would need from other teams – is very full, and it would take something just short of a miracle for Philly to qualify.

No matter what happens, the Flyers can only realize that miracle if they beat Caps in regulation. Philadelphia would also need the Canadiens to beat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation on Tuesday night, because an overtime finish in Montreal would also eliminate the Flyers. Even if everything breaks the right way for the Flyers on Tuesday, they would still need the New York Islanders to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in regulation on Wednesday night to earn the final wild-card spot.

Capitals vs. Flyers Predictions and Picks

In their two previous outings against each other this season, the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers played two very different types of games. Philadelphia won the first matchup 4-3 in an overtime shootout on Dec. 14, but it was all Washington in the second meeting, as the Caps rolled over the Flyers 5-2 on March 1. Since this third matchup is essentially a playoff game for both teams, I expect it to look more like that first meeting.

After both teams nearly allowed their playoff hopes to slip away in early April, the Caps and Flyers have suddenly raised their games out of desperation. Washington and Philadelphia each lost four games to start this month, but they have come on strong in their last two. The Flyers downed the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers on Thursday and the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, while the Caps beat a pair of playoff teams in Tampa Bay and Boston.

For most of 2023-24, it had appeared that the Flyers would contend for a playoff spot, but their recent skid turned their season upside down. When the team was winning, it was doing so on the strength of a stout and suffocating defense, but that faded away for a stretch toward the end of the year. However, it seems that the Flyers regained their defensive mastery in limiting the Rangers to one goal in a 4-1 win and holding the New Jersey Devils scoreless on Saturday. This is a must-win game for the Flyers, and it is being played in Philadelphia, so give me the home team to win this one in regulation in a last-ditch effort to keep its postseason dreams alive.

The Pick: Philadelphia Flyers win/draw/win (+110)

The over/under total has gone over in both these teams’ previous matchups this season, which have seen a combined 14 goals. Since the Flyers’ defense finally looks like it has returned to its dominant ways -- and because these players’ backs are against the wall -- I lean to the under on the total for Tuesday night.

The Capitals offense had some great games this season, but this group of veterans has  certainly shown its age more often than not. Washington’s offense has been stagnant at times, and the numbers don’t lie because this team ranks only 28th in the league for goals scored per game. Although they Flyers’ offense has looked better as of late, Philadelphia has also been very inconsistent with it scoring despite ranking fourth in the NHL for per-game shots on goal.

The Pick: Under 5.5 (+100)

Best NHL Player-Prop Bets for Capitals vs. Flyers:

Alex Ovechkin

I know I’m all in on the Philadelphia Flyers for this game, but the Washington players also have their backs against the wall on Tuesday. In that situation, you know that Capitals captain and future Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin is going to have one of his best games of the season. The Flyers’ defense is stout, and Philadelphia does a great job suffocating opponents, but even at his advanced age, Ovechkin still performs at a higher level than most NHL players. Look for him to be very aggressive in the offensive zone in this one. I can see him finding the back of the net, but what I really like is his shots-on-goal prop.

The Pick: Alex Ovechkin over 3.5 shots on goal (+125)

Best Same-Game Parlay NHL Bets Today for Capitals vs. Flyers: 3-Leg Parlay Pick (+360)

Money Line The Philadelphia Flyers need a regulation win to keep their postseason dreams alive, and I think they will get it done in regulation on Tuesday because Philly really is the better team here. If it weren’t for a springtime slump, this Flyers team would likely have already clinched a playoff berth by now.

In any case, the Capitals don’t match up well here, thanks to a very inconsistent offense that doesn’t register a high volume of shots on goal (only two NHL teams are weaker in that category). That’s not a good recipe for success against a Flyers team that suffocates opponents in allowing the league’s second-fewest shots on goal per game this season.

Leg-1 SGP Pick: Philadelphia Flyers ML (-155)

Flyers Goals I have already predicted that the under will cash in this game, and I’m sticking with that prediction. However, I’m going to hedge, in a sense, here. That’s because I believe the Flyers will bring their “A” game at both ends of the ice on Tuesday, but they will be especially strong on offense. It’s a win-or-go-home game, and Philly is playing at home in front of what will be a demanding crowd that wants both a win and a postseason berth.

Leg-2 SGP Pick: Flyers Goals over 3.5 (+125)

Owen Tippett Flyers winger Owen Tippett has been quiet of late – having failed to score since an April 5 game against the Buffalo Sabres. The good news is that he gets a favorable matchup on Tuesday against a Capitals team that he scored goals against in both previous Washington-Philadelphia games this season. He also has a total of three points in two games against the Caps. Look for Tippett to find the back of the net yet again in this third and final meeting that is so crucial for both teams.

Leg-3 SGP Pick: Owen Tippett anytime goalscorer (+165)

Odds are subject to change* 

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