Washington Capitals vs Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/23

Looking to win big? The Capitals and Blue Jackets face off at 7:00 ET on BSOH. The Blue Jackets are hosting the game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. The Capitals are the favored team in this Metropolitan divisional contest against the Blue Jackets. The game’s over/under currently sits at 6 goals.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS VS COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5

This game will be played at Nationwide Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, December 21st.

WHY BET THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS:

With a 1.5 goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Capitals to secure a 4-3 victory.
Take the Capitals on the moneyline
On the puck line, we like Blue Jackets (+1.5)

Pressure Builds for Washington as Away Favorites

For the season, the Capitals currently hold an overall record of 16-9-4. On the road, Washington has gone 7-5-2 and they are 9-4-2 at home. Their current record places them 5th in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 8th in the Eastern conference.

Regarding the puck line, Washington comes in with a 13-16 record. On the road against the puck line, they are 7-7, while their home record is 6-9. The average goal total for Washington’s games is sitting at 5.3. The average over/under line for the season is 6.2. The Capitals come in with an over/under record of 9-19-1.

Washington has a 1-2 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.

On offense, the Capitals are averaging 2.4 goals per game which is 31st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 32nd in the league. So far this year, the Capitals are 5-3 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 11-6 in games with fewer shots on goal.

Washington’s current leading scorer is Dylan Strome. This season, he has 13 goals, which puts him 39th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Strome has 6 assists this season.

Entering the game, the Blue Jackets’ defense ranks 18th in takeaways, averaging 6.2 takeaways per contest. In the NHL, they currently stand at 3rd in terms of goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.3 goals per game.

Heading into this matchup vs. Columbus, goalie Charlie Lindgren has started 11 games in this season. His current record is 6-3, and his save percentage stands at 0.6082474226804123%.

Will the Blue Jackets Exceed Expectations at Home?

Through 33 games, the Blue Jackets have achieved an overall record of 11-17-5. When on the road, Columbus holds a 4-8-3 record, while they are 7-9-2 when playing at home. This record has them sitting 8th in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 15th in the Eastern conference.

When it came to the puck line, Columbus heads in with a 20-13 record. On the road, their mark is 11-4 and their overall home performance is 9-9 vs. the puck line. This season, Columbus’ games are averaging 6.8 goals per game. Their average over/under line is 6.5. The Blue Jackets currently have an over/under record of 20-13-0.

Columbus has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 6 goals per game while allowing 5. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.

Offensively, the Blue Jackets come into the game at 3.2 goals per contest placing 7th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 13th position in the league. Columbus’ offense is currently ranked 25th in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 32nd in the league.

Columbus’ leading goal scorer is Boone Jenner. So far this season, he has 13 goals, placing him 40th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 5 assists so far.

Entering the game, goalie Elvis Merzlikins has started 20 games this season. His current record stands at 7-8, and his save percentage is 0.9278350515463918%.