The Columbus Blue Jackets (5-4-1) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (7-2-0) on Saturday, November 2nd. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on ESPN+. The Capitals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jackets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Jets. Puck drop is set for 5:00 ET.

Blue Jackets vs Capitals

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Columbus fell to 5-4-1 after a 6-2 loss to the Jets. The Blue Jackets were underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, with the combined score of 8 surpassing that mark.

Defensively, the Blue Jackets struggled throughout the game, allowing the first goal at 5:13 in the opening period. Sean Kuraly tied it up at 11:02, but the Jets scored the next four goals to put the game out of reach.

The Washington Capitals Are Coming Off A Win

With a 6-3 win over the Canadiens, the Capitals improved to 7-2-0 this season. Washington covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 9 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.

All six of Washington’s goals came from different players. The game was tied 3-3 going into the third period, but the Capitals pulled away with three unanswered goals in the final frame.

Columbus Offense Breakdown

Columbus managed just two goals in their 6-2 loss to the Jets, with Sean Kuraly netting his second of the season and Sean Monahan adding his sixth on a power play. The Blue Jackets fired 22 shots on goal but were hampered by 17 giveaways.

James van Riemsdyk earned his third assist on Kuraly’s goal, while Zach Werenski picked up his sixth assist and Kirill Marchenko his eighth on Monahan’s power-play tally.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense fired 34 shots on goal, resulting in six goals in their 6-3 win over Montreal. The Capitals had 14 giveaways but managed to find the net six times, with each goal coming from a different player. Alex Ovechkin, who scored his 5th goal of the season, also added two assists, bringing his assist total to five this year.

After a scoreless first period, Washington got on the board with Tom Wilson’s 6th goal, which came on a power play. The Capitals added three more goals in the third period, with Aliaksei Protas scoring his 3rd of the season and later assisting on Ovechkin’s goal. Dylan Strome picked up two assists, giving him 10 for the year.

Columbus Team Defense

Defensively, the Blue Jackets struggled, allowing six goals on 44 shots from the Jets. Goalie Elvis Merzlikins made 38 saves but finished with a save percentage of 86.4%. Columbus also gave up the first goal just 5:13 into the first period and conceded two late goals—one at 1:09 in the second period and another at 5:06 in the third.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals will look to build on a strong third period, where they didn’t allow a goal. They gave up three in the second, including one at the 18:00 mark, but shut the Canadiens down in the third, leading to a 6-3 win. Charlie Lindgren made 12 saves with a save percentage of 80%, and the defense added 3 takeaways and 22 hits.

Blue Jackets vs Capitals Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Columbus has an puck line record of 3-2 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
• Washington has played well in their previous three home games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 5 goals per game while allowing 3. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 3-0.
• Washington has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 puck line in their last five games.
• As the betting favorite, the Blue Jackets have an puck line mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. Columbus posted a straight up mark of 5-5 in these matchups.

Blue Jackets vs Capitals Prediction

If you’re looking for a straight moneyline bet, then the Capitals are the way to go. However, with a payout of -217, you might consider using this bet as a leg of a parlay.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Blue Jackets to cover. Even if the Capitals manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Blue Jackets should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.