The Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals will meet in NHL action on Sunday afternoon. Both of these teams enter this inter-conference matchup on winning streaks and will try to extend those streams at Capital One Arena today. Before the puck drops in this contest, continue reading to get my thoughts on the game and to find my Canucks vs Capitals prediction.
Our Canucks vs Capitals Pick
- Pick: Canucks Moneyline
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Vancouver Canucks vs Washington Capitals
- Date & Time: Sunday, October 19, 2025, 12:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Canucks vs Capitals Odds
| Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Moneyline | Capitals –165, Canucks +140 |
| Puckline | Capitals –1.5 (+150), Canucks +1.5 (–180) |
| Total | 5.5 goals |
Key Storylines
Recent form
Washington enters this contest enjoying a strong start to its season. The Caps enter this contest at 4-1-0 and have won their last three games. They delivered a 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild in their last game and Dylan Strome had multiple goals and assists in that contest. Vancouver is 3-2-0 and comes off consecutive road wins over the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks going into this game.
Goaltending
The Capitals are expected to start Logan Thompson (3-1-0, .922 SV% to start the season). Thompson gives them a goaltending edge against most teams in the NHL. Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko has been excellent in net as well. Demko is 2-1 on the year and his .929 SV% is slightly better than that of Thompson for the Caps.
Key skaters
- Washington: Alex Ovechkin tallied his 898th career goal in the Minnesota win and looks fresher than expected at age 40. Dylan Strome is emerging as a major threat. And Aliaksei Protas has four goals already and is turning into a very valuable member of the Washington attack.
- Vancouver: Brock Boeser, Filip Chytil, and Kiefer Sherwood all have three goals early in the season. Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes lead the Canucks in points with four apiece.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Aliaksei Protas (WSH) | Over 0.5 points |
| Brock Boeser (VAN) | Over 0.5 goals |
| Alex Ovechkin (WSH) | Over 0.5 goals |
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first head-to-head meeting between these teams this season.
- Washington is 2-3 on over/unders this season. Vancouver is 3-2 to the over in that market.
- Both teams are 2-3 on the puckline going into this game.
Canucks vs Capitals Model Projection
Score Projection: Canucks 3 – Capitals 2
Win Probability: Canucks 50%, Capitals 50%
Final Thoughts
This game is a toss-up as far as I’m concerned. If nothing else, I don’t think that Washington should be as heavily favored as they are. I recommend taking the Canucks on the moneyline, as their probability of winning this game is higher than their betting odds would suggest.
