The Washington Capitals (19-6-2) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (12-13-3) on Thursday, December 12th. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus and televised on ESPN+. Both the Capitals and Blue Jackets will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Following a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals now sit at 19-6-2 for the season. Washington held a 2-1 lead after the first period, but Carolina responded with three unanswered goals, including an empty-netter in the final seconds.

The total line was set at 6 goals, and the combined score hit exactly that mark. The Capitals, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. Washington’s offense came entirely in the first period, with goals from Alex Ovechkin and Brandon Duhaime.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Columbus fell to 12-13-3 after a 7-2 road loss to the Capitals. The Blue Jackets, as underdogs, failed to cover the puck line, and the total of 9 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

Columbus allowed five goals in the first period, and their defense struggled throughout, giving up the first goal just 56 seconds into the game.

Washington Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense got off to a quick start with Alex Ovechkin’s 7th goal of the season, a power-play strike. Brandon Duhaime followed with his 2nd goal, coming at 19:49 in the first period. Nic Dowd picked up his 2nd assist of the season on Duhaime’s goal, while Dylan Strome added his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s opener.

The Capitals managed 21 shots on goal but were held scoreless after the first period. They finished the game with 15 giveaways.

Blue Jackets Offense Breakdown

Columbus took 36 shots on goal but managed just two goals in their 7-2 loss to Washington. Damon Severson scored his 4th goal of the season, while Kevin Labanc added his 2nd. Sean Monahan picked up his 5th assist of the year, with Zach Aston-Reese getting his 2nd and Adam Fantilli his 4th.

The Blue Jackets were held scoreless in the first period before Severson found the net 49 seconds into the second. Labanc followed with a goal at the 5:24 mark. Columbus had 13 giveaways in the game.

Washington Team Defense

After the Capitals took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, their defense struggled, giving up two goals in the second period and another in the third. The final goal was an empty-netter with just 9 seconds left. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but Washington’s defense had only 2 takeaways and 20 hits.

Columbus Team Defense

Columbus’ defense struggled early, allowing five goals in the first period. They gave up another at 4:51 in the second and one more at 18:34 in the third. Daniil Tarasov finished with a 68.2% save percentage on 22 shots from the Capitals.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Trends

• Washington has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 5-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 5-0.
• In their last three games at home, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 3 goals per game in these contests.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 1-2 and an puck line mark of 1-2.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Washington has an puck line mark of 5-5 while going 7-3 straight up.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Blue Jackets to secure a victory over the Capitals at home. With the moneyline currently set at +136, I’m locking in my bet on the Blue Jackets straight-up.

Our projections have the Blue Jackets pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Blue Jackets, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet 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.