Panthers vs. Capitals prediction: Why Washington is favored to win Saturday's NHL matchup [1/17/2026]

The Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers will meet in the NHL at Capital One Arena on Saturday, with puck drop at 7:00 PM ET.

Based on the latest simulation results, Dimers' advanced NHL model projects the Capitals as the most likely winner of the Panthers vs. Capitals game.

This article offers a closer look at Saturday's matchup, including projected goal scorers, best bets and player prop picks.

Panthers vs. Caps prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using innovative machine learning and data, we have simulated the outcome of Saturday's NHL matchup between the Panthers and Capitals 10,000 times as part of our NHL predictions coverage.

Our famous predictive model gives the Capitals a 55% chance of beating the Panthers.

According to our model, the Panthers (+1.5) have a 65% chance of covering the puck line, while the over/under total of six goals has a 51% chance of staying under.

Panthers vs. Capitals odds

We have sourced the best NHL odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Panthers	Capitals
Puck Line	+1.5 (-188)	-1.5 (+164)
Moneyline	+136	-150
Total	o6 (-118)	u6 (-102)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Panthers vs. Capitals picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Puck Line	Panthers +1.5	-188
Moneyline	Panthers	+136
Total	Under 6	-102

According to our NHL best bets, the top play to make on this game is Panthers to win.

Panthers vs. Capitals player props

Who will score a goal in Panthers vs. Capitals?

According to our model, Sam Reinhart is most likely to score an anytime goal in Panthers vs. Capitals.

Our projections give Reinhart a 45.6% chance of scoring a goal at Capital One Arena, while the star is a 10.1% chance of netting the first goal the game.

Anytime goal scorer predictions

Florida Panthers

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Sam Reinhart	45.6%
Sam Bennett	35.9%
Carter Verhaeghe	30.6%
Anton Lundell	24.7%
Evan Rodrigues	20.5%

Washington Capitals

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Alex Ovechkin	37.9%
Aliaksei Protas	34.2%
Dylan Strome	30.3%
Ethen Frank	28.5%
Ryan Leonard	26.2%

First goal scorer predictions

Florida Panthers

Player	First Goal Probability
Sam Reinhart	10.1%
Sam Bennett	7.3%
Carter Verhaeghe	5.5%
Anton Lundell	4.6%
Evan Rodrigues	3.6%

Washington Capitals

Player	First Goal Probability
Alex Ovechkin	8.1%
Aliaksei Protas	6.8%
Dylan Strome	6.0%
Ethen Frank	5.3%
Jakob Chychrun	4.7%

Panthers vs. Caps game-day updates and essential details

Saturday's game between the Capitals and Panthers at Capital One Arena is scheduled to commence at 7:00 PM ET.

• Who: Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals
• Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
• Time: 7:00 PM ET/4:00PM PT
• Venue: Capital One Arena

Conclusion

We predict the Capitals, with a 55% win probability, will likely beat the Panthers on Saturday.

AI and automation have enhanced this article to quickly deliver accurate Panthers vs. Capitals insights, with human oversight ensuring high editorial quality. Our predictions are based on the latest data to help you make informed decisions. For additional resources and advice on responsible gambling, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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