BEST LINES: Pinnacle -1½ +213 Bet365 -1½ +210 SportsInteraction -1½ +195  5DIMES -1½ +211

Posted at 11:30 AM EST 

OT included. We’re not going to go into a lot of great detail regarding the Oilers here because everyone knows who they are and what they are but let us reiterate that Edmonton is the NHL’s top possession team that has created more scoring chances than any team in the NHL. The Oilers are in the -130 price range here, which is way off my friends because if they were playing the Sabres or Flyers for instance, they would be in the -170 to -190 range and we assure you that Buffalo and Philly are both superior to the Caps. That may appear to be a bit of a bold statement but we’re not talking talent, we’re talking the entire picture and right now, the Caps are mentally fried. 

Don’t get us wrong, as Washington has some quality players that obviously could crack any lineup in the game. However, we’ve said it since the start of the year and will not relent in saying that the Caps have lost their way and their will. That was never more evident than in their last game in Vancouver when they started roughing some Canucks players up with less than 3 minutes to go in the third and down 6-1. Frustration has also set in. Early playoff exits with such a promising group have finally taken its toll on the Caps. All that hard work during the regular season only to be knocked out in the first or second round has snowballed into a group of frustrated players that have seen its window closed for good. Too many key players bolted in the off-season. What’s left is frustrated players that are under contract and some castoffs that nobody else wanted. The Caps defense is minor-league quality. We saw the Canucks manhandle this team on Thursday. We’ve seen the Caps go 0-3 against top-10 teams this year so far and we don’t see a damn thing changing here. The Caps are ripe and if you want true value, spot the -130 because it’s a great bet. We’ll stick to our -1½ philosophy and take our chances.

Open an account today at Pinnacle Sports and take advantage of their -104 style pricing on sides and totals, which is 60% better than other sportsbooks.