Capitals vs Canucks Prediction, Picks & Same-Game Parlay for Tonight’s NHL Game

There's no sugarcoating it. Things haven't gone well for the Canucks recently. They've lost 11 straight, but the Capitals have been sluggish, too, and Vancouver is poised to tighten up on defense to make a game of it tonight.

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst
Jan 21, 2026 • 10:28 ET • 3 min read

NHL

Match starts: 9 hrs
VAN
40 %
WAS
60 %
EXPERT PICK - TOTAL
u6.5 (-135)
Read Analysis
Elias Pettersson Vancouver Canucks NHL
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Canucks F Elias Pettersson (40) during a break in the action.

The Vancouver Canucks will look to snap an 11-game losing streak against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena on Wednesday, January 21.

Washington has also dropped three straight, so my top Capitals vs. Canucks predictions and NHL picks expect both teams to pay extra attention to keeping the puck out of their net to send this total Under the number tonight. 

Capitals vs Canucks prediction

Capitals vs Canucks best bet: Under 6.5 (-135)

The Vancouver Canucks have the lowest team shooting percentage and scored just 1.41 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 and 1.82 per game during their 11-game skid.

Injuries to Filip Chytil (upper body) and Marco Rossi (lower body) have left Vancouver thin up the middle and easy to defend, with the supporting cast jumping the boards lacking a true scoring punch.

As a result, Vancouver needs to simplify its game and shift more attention to defensive detail, and I’m anticipating the heightened focus on battening down the defensive hatches to help keep this total Under the number tonight.

The Washington Capitals have allowed 13 goals across three consecutive losses, too, so look for the Caps to take a similar defensive approach tonight.

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Capitals vs Canucks same-game parlay

The Canucks can hang around in a low-scoring game, and the Caps are reeling along a 6-11-3 stretch with just four wins by two goals or more. Additionally, Vancouver has positive regression ahead of its unsustainably low 5.4 team SH% at 5-on-5 during its own 11-game skid.

Vancouver also loaded up its No. 1 line with Elias Pettersson centering Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser, and Pettersson has hit the scoresheet six times during the losing skid. With Washington allowing a healthy 3.55 goals per game and fifth-most expected goals per 60 at 5-on-5 during its 20-game slide, Pettersson is positioned to pick up a point tonight.

Capitals vs Canucks SGP

  • Canucks +1.5
  • Under 6.5
  • Elias Pettersson Over 0.5 points

Capitals vs Canucks odds

  • Moneyline: Capitals -155 | Canucks +130
  • Puck Line: Capitals -1.5 (+160) | Canucks +1.5 (-190)
  • Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-135) | Under 5.5 (+115)

Capitals vs Canucks trend

The Washington Capitals have only won six of their last 20 games (-12.55 Units / -47% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Canucks.

How to watch Capitals vs Canucks

Location Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Date Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Puck drop 10:00 p.m. ET
TV MNMT, Sportsnet Pacific

Capitals vs Canucks latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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