NHL Best Bets: Capitals vs. Blue Jackets Game Picks

Two Metropolitan Division clubs will collide tonight, with the Columbus Blue Jackets playing host to the Washington Capitals.

Washington Capitals (-215) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (+176) Total: 6.5 (O -108, U -114) 

There’s a large discrepancy between the Capitals and Blue Jackets in the standings, and that’s evident in their moneyline prices. The visiting Capitals are road favorites at -215, while the Blue Jackets are +176. The Caps haven’t played great recently, owning a 4-6 record over their last ten games, while the Blue Jackets are slightly worse at 3-6-1. 

This will be the third of four matchups between the Caps and Blue Jackets, with Washington already finding success in the season series. The Caps have posted 6-2 and 1-0 wins, both in January.

Looking toward the projected goalie, the visiting Capitals should continue riding Darcy Kuemper, while the Blue Jackets are expected to do the same with Elvis Merzlikins. The Capitals netminder has had a solid first season in DC, owning a 15-14-4 record with a .915 save percentage. Merzlikins has struggled at 5-14 with a .870 save percentage. The Caps should have a sizable advantage between the pipes tonight. 

Washington has more to play for, especially considering how tight the wild-card standings are. There’s not much to love about the Caps’ moneyline price, but there’s value in siding with Washington to win this game by multiple goals at +118. 

Best Bet: Capitals Puck Line -1.5 (+118)

Goal scoring hasn’t been a strength of either club, who sit in the bottom half of goals scored per game. Over the Capitals’ last five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored once, while the Blue Jackets have seen that in three of their previous five. With recent trends, lean toward the under 6.5 at -114.

Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-114) 

There’s still a lot of talent on this veteran Washington Capitals team, which should be apparent in this cushy matchup. In this type of contest, it’s hard not to look toward, arguably, the best goal scorer of all time in Alex Ovechkin, who’s continued to score at a high rate this year. The Caps captain has tallied 32 goals in 51 games and is putting together another dominant campaign. Ovechkin is currently listed at -116 to score tonight; a price bettors should gravitate toward.

Best Prop: Alex Ovechkin to Record Over 0.5 Goals (-116)