Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers Picks and Predictions March 22nd 2025

Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers March 22nd 2025

Betting on today’s Panthers and Capitals game? Catch the action at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, as the Capitals hosts this showdown at 5:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this Eastern conference game currently have the Capitals as the -1.5 goal favorite with the over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals.

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Florida vs. Washington Key Information

• Teams: Panthers at Capitals
• Where: Capital One Arena Washington
• Date: Saturday, March 22nd
• Betting Odds WAS -111 | FLA -108 O/U 5.5

The Panthers Can Win If…

Florida improved to 42-24-3 with a 4-2 win over the Stars. The Panthers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, while the total of 6.5 goals went under, with the combined score reaching 6.

All four of Florida’s goals came from different players. Evan Rodrigues opened the scoring at 5:15 in the first period, and after the Stars tied it up, the Panthers pulled ahead with a goal from Matthew Tkachuk in the second period. A.J. Greer’s goal at 17:28 in the third period gave Florida the lead for good, and Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter to seal the win.

Carolina’s offense was led by four different goal scorers in their 4-2 victory over Dallas. A.J. Greer netted his first goal of the season, while Sam Reinhart added his 10th with an empty-netter. Evan Rodrigues, who opened the scoring, now has 3 goals on the year, and Matthew Tkachuk also scored, bringing his total to 3.

The Panthers took 25 shots on goal and recorded 16 giveaways. They scored once on the power play, with Tkachuk’s goal in the second period. Carolina added two more goals in the third, including Greer’s and Reinhart’s empty-netter.

Defensively, the Panthers will look to build off a strong 3rd period in their last game, where they held the Stars scoreless. Spencer Knight made 23 saves with a 92% save percentage, and the Panthers’ defense added 8 takeaways and 22 hits. The only goals they allowed came in the 2nd period, with the first being a power-play goal for Dallas.

• Florida has put together a record of 1-2 in their last three games (regular season). Against the spread, Florida went 0-3 in these games and finished with an over-under mark of 1-2.
• Across Florida’s last ten regular season games, their record sits at 7-3. In these contests, the team went just 3-7 against the spread, while going 2-8 on the over-under.

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The Capitals Can Win If…

After a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals now sit at 46-15-8. Washington, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. The total was set at 6 goals, and the combined score matched that number.

Washington’s defense struggled, giving up the first goal at 5:59 in the first period. They responded with two goals in the first, but the Hurricanes scored three unanswered goals to secure the win.

Washington’s offense was limited to just two goals in their 4-2 loss to Carolina. Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd goal. The Capitals recorded 21 shots on goal and picked up two goals in the first period, including Ovechkin’s power-play tally.

Nic Dowd earned his 2nd assist of the season, and Dylan Strome added his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s goal. The Capitals struggled with 15 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Capitals will look to bounce back after allowing four goals to the Hurricanes in their last game. After taking a 2-1 lead late in the first period, Washington’s defense gave up two goals in the second and another in the third. The Capitals’ defense also recorded 16 blocks, 20 hits, and 2 takeaways.

• Over their last three games, the Capitals have gone 3-0 straight up. In addition, their puck line record over this stretch is 2-1 while posting a 0-2-1 over-under mark.
• Over their last ten regular season games, the Capitals have gone 8-2 straight up. In these matchups, they ended with an puck line record of 5-5 and an over-under mark of 3-5-2.

The Lean

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Capitals to pick up on a win over the Panthers at home. With the moneyline sitting at -111, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Capitals straight-up.

When making a puck line pick, we’re backing the Capitals to win and cover. Watch for the Capitals to win this game by multiple goals over the Panthers.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

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Panthers Aim to Keep Momentum Rolling Against Red-Hot Capitals

The Florida Panthers snapped a rough stretch with a gritty win on Thursday, but they’ll face another major test Saturday when they travel to Washington to take on the surging Capitals, who have officially punched their ticket to the postseason.

Washington (46-15-8, 100 points) enters the matchup on a three-game win streak and has taken eight of its last nine. The Capitals clinched a playoff spot with a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night, a game that also featured another milestone from their legendary captain.

Alex Ovechkin netted his 888th career goal—his 35th of the season—and now sits just seven shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record of 894.

“A big goal at a big time, gets us going there,” said goalie Charlie Lindgren, who made 27 saves in the win. “Credit to Ovi: Another big goal and another goal off the mark.”

“Our goal was to make the playoffs this year,” Ovechkin added. “Every game, it’s hard… That’s why in the beginning of the year and the middle of the year, it’s very important to collect points and feel comfortable at the end.”

Florida Trying to Regain Form Before Playoffs

The Panthers (42-24-3, 87 points) snapped a two-game losing streak with a much-needed 1-0 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Aleksander Barkov scored the game-winner just 29 seconds into OT on the power play, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar, posting 25 saves for his fifth shutout of the season.

“It was a playoff-style game,” said Bobrovsky. “We had great focus, great concentration. We were together. We were tight, and we just grinded it out.”

Though Florida had dropped three of four heading into Thursday, head coach Paul Maurice remains confident in how the team is trending—pointing to the competitiveness and structure they’ve shown even in tight losses.

“I like the fact that we’ve been able to play in tight games,” Maurice said. “Even in the ones we lost, they’re pretty tight in the third. To come out with a win after losing two is important.”

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Playoff Urgency Setting In

With both teams in playoff mode, the stakes are high. The Panthers are still battling for position in the Atlantic Division, sitting just behind Tampa Bay and Toronto. Barkov knows there’s no room for error down the stretch.

“We talked about it before the game… We’re also in the battle,” Barkov said. “We need to change the mindset… We were desperate today, and we wanted to win, and we got the win.”

Saturday’s matchup features two clubs that know what it takes to win in the postseason, and both are ramping up for the grind ahead. Expect playoff-style intensity when the puck drops in D.C.

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