Rangers vs. Capitals prediction: Why Washington is favored to win Wednesday's NHL matchup [12/31/2025]

The Washington Capitals and NY Rangers will meet in the NHL at Capital One Arena on Wednesday, with puck drop at 12:30 PM ET.

Based on the latest simulations, Dimers' proven NHL model predicts the Capitals as the most likely winner of the Rangers vs. Capitals game.

This article offers further insights into Wednesday's matchup, including projected goal scorers, best bets and player prop picks.

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

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

Our independent predictive model gives the Capitals a 56% chance of defeating the Rangers.

According to our model, the Rangers (+1.5) have a 65% chance of covering the puck line, while the over/under total of 5.5 goals has a 52% chance of going over.

Rangers vs. Capitals odds

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

Bet Type	Rangers	Capitals
Puck Line	+1.5 (-218)	-1.5 (+180)
Moneyline	+116	-135
Total	o5.5 (-122)	u5.5 (+102)

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

Rangers vs. Capitals picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best current 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	Capitals -1.5	+180
Moneyline	Capitals	-135
Total	Under 5.5	+102

According to our best NHL bets, the top play to make on this game is Capitals -1.5 at the spread.

Rangers vs. Capitals player props

Who will score a goal in Rangers vs. Capitals?

According to our model, Artemi Panarin is most likely to score an anytime goal in Rangers vs. Capitals.

Our projections give Panarin a 38.5% chance of scoring a goal at Capital One Arena, while the star is an 8.5% chance of netting the first goal the game.

Anytime goal scorer predictions

NY Rangers

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Artemi Panarin	38.5%
Mika Zibanejad	28.5%
Vincent Trocheck	28.1%
Will Cuylle	25.0%
Alexis Lafreniere	22.7%

Washington Capitals

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Alex Ovechkin	33.9%
Tom Wilson	30.7%
Aliaksei Protas	27.6%
Dylan Strome	25.9%
Jakob Chychrun	23.1%

First goal scorer predictions

NY Rangers

Player	First Goal Probability
Artemi Panarin	8.5%
Vincent Trocheck	6.0%
Mika Zibanejad	5.5%
Will Cuylle	4.5%
Alexis Lafreniere	4.3%

Washington Capitals

Player	First Goal Probability
Alex Ovechkin	6.7%
Tom Wilson	6.1%
Aliaksei Protas	5.2%
Dylan Strome	4.7%
Jakob Chychrun	4.5%

Rangers vs. Caps game-day updates and essential details

Wednesday's game between the Capitals and Rangers at Capital One Arena is scheduled to commence at 12:30 PM ET.

• Who: NY Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
• Date: Wednesday, December 31, 2025
• Time: 12:30 PM ET/9:30AM PT
• Venue: Capital One Arena

Conclusion

We predict the Capitals, with a 56% win probability, will likely beat the Rangers on Wednesday.

AI and automation have enhanced this article to quickly deliver accurate Rangers vs. Capitals insights, with human oversight ensuring high editorial quality. Our predictions are sourced from 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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