A battle in the Metropolitan Division has the Washington Capitals continuing their five-game homestand by playing host to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Capital One Arena. Washington took last year’s four-game season series vs Columbus 3-1 and is a -130 favorite in tonight’s game with the total Sportsbook at six goals.
- Washington is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games vs Columbus.
- The total has gone OVER in 16 of the Blue Jackets' last 20 games on the road. (Avg combined score: 7.4)
- The total has gone OVER in six of the Blue Jackets' last eight games vs the Capitals. (Avg combined score: 6.75)
Columbus vs Washington Game Center
Washington’s hitting its stride
The Capitals are on their first winning streak of the season and are looking to push that streak to three in tonight’s game. They have also picked up points in each of the last three games and are coming off a 2-1 victory over their longtime rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins. Washington is trailing just the New York Islanders for the division lead and is winning games with its high-octane offense. The Caps are averaging 3.64 goals per game which leads the league, including a lethal Sportsbook that is clicking at an astonishing 34 percent.
An area of concern in the early goings of the season is the play by former Vezina Trophy Sportsbook Braden Holtby. The goalie has a 3.37 goals against average, ranking 34th in the league and a .899 save percentage that is tied for 28th in the NHL. This could be a result to the Caps’ -3.3 shot differential, allowing 33.2 shots per game which is the ninth-most in the league. Washington does a good job staying out of the penalty box, being shorthanded just 51 times this season, which ranks in the middle of the pack, but when it is short-handed it is a bit of a disaster on the ice, as it has the seventh-worst penalty kill unit clicking at just 74.5 percent.
Special teams play is hurting Columbus
The Blue Jackets are deadlocked with their counterparts at 17 points on the season but have played one extra game. There is a lot of similarities between Columbus and Washington as the Jackets are averaging 3.33 goals per game which ranks 10th in the NHL, but struggling goaltending is holding them down. Sergei Bobrovsky has a slightly better save percentage than Braden Holtby at .902, while he holds a 3.09 goals against average which is 31st in the league.
The biggest issue for the Jackets is their special team's units, both the Sportsbook and the penalty killing has been a struggle this season. They have done a great job drawing penalties, getting 59 Sportsbook opportunities this year which is the third-most in the league but have just seven goals with the extra man for an 11.9 percent. Meanwhile, the penalty killing unit has been on the ice just 49 times on the year which is the ninth-fewest in the league but is killing just 75.5 percent of those opportunities which is eighth-worst.
Is the OVER the smart bet to make?
Two strong offensive clubs are colliding and Sportsbook has tonight’s total Sportsbook at six goals. The total has gone OVER in six of the last eight meetings between Washington and Columbus with an average combined score of 6.75 and the Jackets have gone OVER in 16 of their last 20 road games overall. Meanwhile, both teams rank in the top 10 in goals scored per game, but both starting netminders are having a hard time keeping the red light from turning on behind them. Lastly, this may be the game Columbus breaks through on the Sportsbook as Washington is struggling on the PK and the Jackets getting plenty of opportunities with the extra man so I think the OVER is the smart bet.
My Take on Columbus vs Washington
I like the OVER six goals in tonight’s game. In addition to the points above, Washington is averaging 3.50 goals against per game which is the sixth-most, while Columbus surrenders the 3.47 goals against per game which is the seventh-most. Meanwhile, goals have been plentiful when these two teams get together going OVER or pushing six goals in six of the last eight meetings. Lastly, the total has gone OVER in nine of the Capitals’ last 10 games with a closing total of six or fewer.
