The first team eliminated from playoff contention in the Eastern Conference visits a team fighting for their playoff lives as the Columbus Blue Jackets visit the Washington Capitals. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Blue Jackets-Capitals prediction and pick.
Washington enters the game five points out of a wildcard spot, and with only 11 games left to play. They have lost five of their last seven, including a 5-3 loss in Minnesota on Sunday. Columbus is the worst team in the Eastern Conference on the road this year and has lost the last three, all road games. In those three games, the Blue Jackets have seen 18 goals scored against them, while scoring only seven. Columbus will look to put some doubt into the Capitals’ playoff chances on Tuesday night.
Here are the Blue Jackets-Capitals NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Blue Jackets-Capitals Odds
Columbus Blue Jackets: +1.5 (-118)
Washington Capitals: -1.5 (-102)
Over: 6.5 (-110)
Under: 6.5 (-110)
How To Watch Blue Jackets vs. Capitals
TV: NBCSports Washington / ESPN+
Stream: NHLPP / ESPN+
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Blue Jackets Could Cover The Spread
Columbus may be one of the worst teams in the NHL, but that does not mean they do not show sparks at times. Since the All-Star break, they have knocked off top teams such as Toronto, New Jersey, Dallas, Buffalo, and Edmonton. The last time they faced Washington, they lost in overtime by a score of 4-3. In that same time span, they have averaged 2.72 goals per game, which is up from their season-long average of 2.55.
Daniil Tarasov is back for the Blue Jackets and is the probable goalie for the Blue Jackets. He had been out since mid-January but has not been promising in his three games back. His goals-against average is right now 6.22 in those three games, with a .841 save percentage. That should regress closer to his season average, which should help the Blue Jackets in this game.
Johnny Gaudreau has shown some promise in March as well, scoring nine points in nine games, although five of them came in one outing. That was a 6-5 win over San Jose on March 14th. When Boone Jenner has scored recently, Columbus has been doing well. In games where he has a goal, Columbus is 5-3 as to 1-9 when he does not get one in the back of the net. If Jenner and Gaudreau can connect, Columbus can cover this game.
Why The Capitals Could Cover The Spread
Washington must win this game. A team fighting for its playoff lives cannot afford to lose a game at home against the worst team in the Eastern Conference. On the offensive side of the ice, they are struggling in their recent losses. In their five recent losses, they have averaged 2.4 goals per game. In their four most recent wins, they are averaging 5.25 goals per game. Scoring will decide this game for the Capitals.
While scoring starts with Alexander Ovechkin, his scoring a goal does not mean success. He had two of the three goals against the Wild, plus he assisted on the other one. What has been a marker of team success has been TJ Oshie. In the five most recent wins, Oshie is averaging a goal per game. In the five most recent losses with Oshie on the ice, he has not scored. Oshie was a hindrance to the team on Sunday, with a minus-one rating and 19 penalty minutes.
Goalie play needs to improve as well. Lindgren is expected to be the starter on Tuesday night, but he only has two games over a .900 save percentage since January 1st. This is in ten total games. In that time span, he has only two wins, one in a shootout and one in overtime. If Lindgren can get back to his form from January, this could be a different team. January saw him go 9-2, with a .929 save percentage and 2.02 goals against average. He has shown he can play at an elite level but needs to bring that back for the Capitals to make a run.
Final Blue Jackets-Capitals Prediction & Pick
The Capitals are in the must-win territory, and the old guard needs to put the team on their shoulders. Lindgren has shown he can do just that. Against a Blue Jackets team with nothing to play for, and with Ovechkin hoping to make one more run at the cup, the Capitals should come out firing against Columbus. Washington has won all three games against the Blue Jackets this season, but one was in overtime and one was 1-0. The first one in early January was a 6-2 win in Columbus. This game is priming to be much more like the first meeting between the two.
Final Blue Jackets-Capitals Prediction & Pick: Capitals -1.5 (-102)
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