Los Angeles Kings vs Washington Capitals Picks and Predictions for Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Los Angeles is still looking for its first win, and Washington isn't an easy place to find one. The Kings visit the Capitals at Capital One Arena on Tuesday, with the puck dropping at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN+. Los Angeles is 0-4-2 and last in the Pacific Division after losing 4-1 to Boston on Saturday. Washington is 5-3-0 and has won two straight, most recently beating New Jersey 4-2. The Capitals are 4-1-0 at home, while the Kings are 0-1-2 on the road. Make smarter bets with our free NHL picks.

Los Angeles Kings Still Searching for First Win

Six games into the season, the Kings have yet to finish one off. They stayed close against Florida and Vegas but lost 2-1 both times, with the Vegas defeat coming in overtime. The last two have been rougher. Edmonton and Boston each beat Los Angeles 4-1. The Kings are averaging only 2.00 goals despite taking 29.8 shots a game. At the other end, they've allowed 4.17 goals on 26.8 shots. That's a difficult combination for a team chasing its first victory.

Artemi Panarin has scored three of Los Angeles' 12 goals, while defenseman Brandt Clarke leads the team with five points. Alex Laferriere and Adrian Kempe have four points apiece. The goaltending figures tell much of the story. Darcy Kuemper is 0-3-1 with a .847 save percentage and 4.53 goals-against average. Anton Forsberg has stopped 88.3% of shots. Penalties haven't helped either. The Kings have killed just 61.9% of opposing power plays, and their own power play has converted 14.3%. They need improvement at both ends.

Injuries: Alex Turcotte, Mats Zuccarello, Jakub Dvorak, Jan Jenik and Kevin Fiala are on injured reserve.

Washington Capitals Finding Success at Home

Washington has looked more comfortable at home. The Capitals have won four of five at Capital One Arena, including Saturday's 4-2 victory against New Jersey. They also got past Montreal 5-4 in their previous outing. Those wins came after losses to Carolina and Seattle, so Washington hasn't been perfect. But the Capitals are getting 3.50 goals a game, and they haven't needed many shots to do it. Washington averages 26.0 shots and allows 29.8, with opponents scoring 3.00 goals per game.

Alex Tuch has already scored five goals, including three game-winners, and shares the team lead with Ryan Leonard at seven points. Leonard has three goals and four assists. Boone Jenner has added four goals, and Dylan Strome has five assists. Logan Thompson has been the steadier goaltender, going 4-2-0 with a .910 save percentage and 2.69 goals-against average. Charlie Lindgren is 1-1-0 with a .898 save percentage. The Capitals have killed 82.1% of penalties, a sizeable difference from the Kings' struggles when playing a man down.

Injuries: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Matt Roy, Rasmus Sandin and Patrick Thomas are on injured reserve. Justin Sourdif is day-to-day.

Key To The Game

The Kings are taking nearly 30 shots a night but aren't converting enough. Washington gets more from fewer opportunities, and Thompson has played better than either Los Angeles goaltender. Special teams could make the difference.

Los Angeles Kings vs Washington Capitals Pick

• Washington Capitals

Washington has won four of five games at home and comes in with two straight victories. Los Angeles is winless through six games and has scored one goal in each of its last four outings. The Capitals have an advantage in goal, where Thompson carries a .910 save percentage compared with Kuemper's .847 mark. With Tuch and Leonard producing up front, Washington will win this matchup at Capital One Arena on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings vs Washington Capitals Over/Under Pick

• Over

Los Angeles has struggled to score, but its goaltending and penalty killing have been bigger problems. The Kings allow 4.17 goals a game, and Washington has scored nine across its last two wins. The Capitals also surrender 3.00 goals per outing, leaving room for Los Angeles to contribute despite its slow start. Both teams have weaknesses in their own end, and this game will finish over the total on Tuesday.