The first-place Washington Capitals open a six-game road trip tonight against the Metropolitan Division rival Columbus Blue Jackets looking to put more distance between them and the rest of the pack. Sportsbooks opened the Capitals as +130 road underdogs with a total of 6.5.
- The Capitals are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in three of the Capitals’ last four games on the road vs the Blue Jackets.
- The Capitals are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games vs divisional opponents.
Capitals vs Blue Jackets Game Center
Columbus hasn’t been getting the job done at home
The Capitals moved four points ahead of the Blue Jackets for second place in the division after Monday’s 6-4 home victory over Los Angeles in a game in which Evgeny Kuznetsov notched two goals and two assists while captain Alex Ovechkin potted his league-leading 38th goal and set up two others. Washington completed its six-game homestand with a 4-1-1 SU record. The Caps have lost three straight on the road, though.
Columbus heads back home from a perfect three-game road trip that concluded in Vegas with a 4-3 win on Saturday. Cam Atkinson scored twice in a span of 2:33 in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit and give his team the triumph. While Columbus’ success away from home has been something to behold, it’s dropped three in a row at Nationwide Arena.
Capitals are a poor puckline wager right now
The Capitals simply haven’t been covering the puckline of late. In Washington’s past 13 contests, it’s 2-11 on the puckline. Sportsbook was offering the Capitals’ +1.5 number for a price of -200 as of this writing.
When the Caps and Jackets collide in Ohio, low-scoring games tend to follow. In Washington’s past four trips to Nationwide Arena, the UNDER is 3-1. Washington has also gone UNDER in four of its past five vs Metropolitan Division opponents.
My pick: take the Capitals
Columbus’ recent issues at home have been troubling, and I believe the Capitals are too good a team to be getting the +130 price tag right now. The Blue Jackets have been surrounded by rumors regarding Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin, and it’s made them a risky bet as a result. Take the reigning Stanley Cup champions on the moneyline.
