Saturday’s NHL schedule features a game between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Capital One Arena, with the puck dropping at 12:30 p.m. ET. Whether you’re looking to make a single bet or plan to build a parlay, you’ll want to take a look at our picks and projections in the piece below.

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Capitals vs. Lightning Picks

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Total Pick

Pick OU: Over 5.5 (model projecting 6.2 goals)

• This season, Washington and its opponent have combined to outscore Saturday’s over/under of 5.5 goals 32 times.
• A total of 31 of Tampa Bay’s games have ended with more than 5.5 goals this season.
• The Capitals score 3.63 goals per game, compared to the Lightning’s average of 3.57, adding up to 1.7 more goals than this contest’s total of 5.5.
• These two teams concede a combined 5.2 goals per game, 0.3 less than this one’s over/under.

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Moneyline Pick

Capitals Moneyline: -128

• In the 34 times this season the Capitals have been a moneyline favorite, they have finished 21-13 in those games.
• When it has played with moneyline odds of -128 or shorter, Washington is 18-11 (winning 62.1% of the time).
• The Capitals have a 56.1% chance (based on the moneyline’s implied probability) to win this matchup.

Lightning Moneyline: +108

• In Tampa Bay’s 16 games playing as the moneyline underdog this season, it has six wins.
• The Lightning have three victories in games with moneyline odds of +108 or longer (in nine chances).
• Tampa Bay has a 48.1% chance to win this matchup (implied from the moneyline odds).

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Score Prediction

Prediction:
Washington 4, Tampa Bay 2

Capitals Points Leaders

• One of Washington’s top offensive options this season is Dylan Strome, who has recorded 59 points in 59 games.
• Aliaksei Protas has 23 goals and 27 assists for Washington to compile 50 total points (0.8 per game).
• Pierre-Luc Dubois has contributed 49 points for Washington in 59 games this season, scoring on 14.4% of his shots and putting up 14 goals and 35 assists.
• Across 33 games played, Logan Thompson has a goaltending record of 25-3-5. During those games, he’s allowed 75 goals while recording 855 saves.

Lightning Points Leaders

• Nikita Kucherov has recorded 27 goals (0.5 per game) and put up 58 assists (one per game), taking 3.3 shots per game and shooting 14.2%. That makes him among the leaders for Tampa Bay with 85 total points (1.5 per game).
• Brandon Hagel’s 67 points this season, including 29 goals and 38 assists, make him one of the top offensive threats for Tampa Bay.
• Brayden Point has scored 31 goals and contributed 29 assists for Tampa Bay, giving him a point total of 60.
• Andrei Vasilevskiy’s record stands at 28-15-3 on the season, allowing 100 goals (2.2 goals against average) and collecting 1182 saves with a .922 save percentage (fourth-best in the league).

Capitals’ Schedule

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Lightning’s Schedule

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Washington vs. Tampa Bay Game Info

• Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025
• Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
• How to watch on TV: ESPN+
• Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
• Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
• Location: Washington D.C.
• Venue: Capital One Arena

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