After a .500 West Coast trip, the Panthers bring their offense — and Brad Marchand's five-game goal streak — back to Amerant Bank Arena for Thursday's matchup with the Capitals. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. EST with coverage on ESPN+.
Florida (8-7-1) went 2-2-0 on its recent road swing, capped by a 3–2 win at Vegas on Monday. The Panthers are 5-1-1 at home this season, buoyed by the play of 37-year-old Brad Marchand, who has scored in five straight games and leads the team with 11 goals and 18 points. Sergei Bobrovsky (8-4-0, 2.68 GAA, .893 save percentage) is expected to start in goal, while backup Daniil Tarasov remains winless at 0-3-1.
Injuries to top forwards Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk continue to shape Florida's lineup, leaving Marchand to drive the offense alongside Sam Reinhart, who has nine points in 16 games after consecutive 80-point seasons.
Washington (8-7-1) arrives off a 4–1 win Tuesday in Carolina, snapping a two-game skid. Logan Thompson, one of the league's early-season standouts, stopped 28 shots to improve to 7-4-0 with a 1.56 goals-against average and .934 save percentage — both among NHL leaders.
Tom Wilson leads Washington with nine goals and 16 points, while Dylan Strome has a team-best 10 assists. Veteran defenseman John Carlson carries a four-game point streak into Thursday's matchup, and Alex Ovechkin — now 40 — scored career goal No. 901 earlier this week.
Spread
- Capitals +1.5 (-232)
- Panthers -1.5 (+213)
Money line
- Capitals +118
- Panthers -122
Total
- Over 5.5 (-112)
- Under 5.5 (+104)
Note: The above data was collected on Nov. 13, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Capitals vs Panthers Betting Trends
- The Capitals are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games, going 5-1 on the road.
- The Panthers are 3-7 against the spread in their past 10 games, including 1-3 at home.
- The Capitals have lost four of their last five road games.
- The Panthers have won six of their last eight home matchups.
- The Panthers have won nine of the last 12 matchups against the Capitals.
- The over has hit in 13 of the last 20 meetings between these two teams.
Capitals vs Panthers Injury Reports
Capitals
- Pierre-Luc Dubois, LW — Injured reserve (abdominal and adductor muscles).
Panthers
- Jonah Gadjovich, LW — Out (upper body).
- Dmitry Kulikov, D — Out (upper body).
- Aleksander Barkov, C — Out (knee).
- Tomas Nosek, LW — Out (knee).
- Matthew Tkachuk, LW — Out (groin).
Capitals vs Panthers Predictions and Picks
"Both sides enter with identical records, but Florida's home-ice advantage and steadier defensive play give them the edge. Washington will compete hard after a confidence-boosting win, but sustaining momentum on a back-to-back style turnaround is difficult. Expect a close game with special teams playing a key role. Final Score Prediction, Florida Panthers win 3-2." — Ricky Mackenzie, Picks and Parlays
"Both teams have exactly eight wins this season, but the Panthers have been very strong at home with five wins. On the flip side, the Caps have been struggling lately with a 2-6 record in their last eight games, but are better both offensively and defensively. I don't see value on either side, and with the total set at 5.5 goals, I like this to go over. Both teams are scoring 3+ goals in four of their last five games each." — Nikos Lagouretos, Sports Chat Place
"Both of these teams come into this matchup with the same record, and they are both towards the bottom of their division standings, so this is a big game for each side. The Capitals are 4-3-1 on the road this year, while the Panthers are 5-1-1 at home. Florida has alternated wins and losses over their last 10 games, and if that trend continues, they are due for a loss here. I still don't know what to think of the Panthers, as they are dealing with injuries and can't string wins together, but I know both teams are great on defense, so I will take the under here." — David Racey, PickDawgz
