Daily Underdog Picks: Back the red-hot Capitals against the Bruins

With the NBA on its All-Star break, we turn our attention to the ice in search of underdogs and upsets.

There are three underdogs, two in the NHL and one in college basketball, that have caught our interest, and we will break down their chances at covering the spread or winning straight up tonight.

Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins

Take advantage of the opportunity here. The Washington Capitals are on a four-game winning streak, but are underdogs tonight against a Boston Bruins team that has not been at its best lately. 

The Capitals are winners in seven of their last 10 games and have a 6-2-2 record on the road, including a 2-1 shootout win over Boston two nights ago. The Bruins, meanwhile, have hit a rough patch, with losses in five of their last seven games. 

The Bruins are expected to be without veteran center Charlie Coyle, who was put into COVID-19 protocol on Wednesday. Coyle had eight points in 19 games, while playing almost 17 minutes per game. 

The Capitals are among the top scoring teams in the league. They have the fifth best power play. The Bruins, meanwhile, don’t score nearly as much, averaging 2.9 goals-for per game, but still have a top-10 power play and a top-five penalty kill. They’ve both been successful at 5-on-5, although the Bruins have been able to carry the play more at even strength. 

Wednesday's game was physical and chippy, and there should be some bad blood between these teams.

Expect another close game tonight. If you get a team like the Capitals as moneyline underdogs while in the midst of a four-game winning streak, it may be worth taking a shot on Washington to win tonight. 

Pick: Capitals (+115)

---

St. Louis Blues vs. Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are starting to come back to earth in the West Division, dropping to sixth in the standings out of eight teams. Tonight, they face a St. Louis Blues team that has won three in a row. 

On the surface, the easy suggestion would be to take the Blues as moneyline favorites, but St. Louis has been wildly inconsistent this season. Sure, the Blues have won three straight games, but they are also facing a long list of injuries to key players and goaltender Jordan Binnington’s play has been up and down. 

The Kings, meanwhile, will look to correct a three-game losing skid.

Despite dropping in the standings, the Kings have had success against the Blues this season, winning three of four contests. On Friday, their moneyline odds of +114 shifted to +108. 

Pick: Kings (+108)

---

Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest

This has been an ugly stretch for the Demon Deacons, who have lost six in a row – with the closest margin of defeat being a seven-point overtime loss to Florida State before Valentine’s Day. 

That kickstarted the skid for Wake Forest. Since then, the Demon Deacons have dropped five more games, and allowed 80-plus points in three of those games. They have lost three in a row on home court (Feb. 20 vs. NC State and Feb. 24 vs. Clemson) by a combined score of 224-161. 

Tonight, the Demon Deacons host the Yellow Jackets, who have won five in a row, including some big victories against Virginia Tech – by 16 points on the road – and an overtime thriller at home against Duke earlier this week. 

Moses Wright has been dominant for Georgia Tech during this stretch, scoring 20 or more points in four of the last five games, with four straight double-doubles. 

All signs point to Georgia Tech getting the win. But despite their struggles, Wake Forest should be able to put up a fight at home. Do they get the upset win? Probably not. But covering as 8.5-point underdogs is certainly possible.

The Demon Deacons are 2-3 against the spread this season when a home underdog, and facing a Georgia Tech team that allows more than 70 points-against per game, Wake Forest may be able to keep this one within reach for most of the contest. 

Pick: Wake Forest (+8.5)