The Washington Capitals (16-9-4) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (11-17-5) on Thursday, December 21st. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Washington Capitals vs Columbus Blue Jackets

The Washington Capitals Are Coming Off A Win

Through 29 games, the Capitals have achieved an overall record of 16-9-4. When on the road, Washington holds a 7-5-2 record, while they are 9-4-2 when playing at home. At the moment, they hold the 5th spot in the Eastern Metropolitan division and are ranked 8th in the Eastern conference. This season, Washington has managed to win seven games by a margin of more than one goal while losing eight games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line record for the season is 13-16.

The Capitals most recently faced the Islanders at home and achieved a 3-2 win. Offensively, the Capitals registered one goal during the first period and one time in the second period. Of Washington’s three goals, one came while in power play. They ended the game with 36 shots on goal and had 10 giveaways.

Although Washington secured a straight-up win, they did not cover the puck line, as they were favored by -1.5. The game finished below the over/under line of 6 with a combined total of 5 goals.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Are Coming Off A Win

This season, the Blue Jackets have a mark of 11-17-5. When going on the road, Columbus has a record of 4-8-3 record, while they are 7-9-2 at their home arena. Their current record places them 8th in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 15th in the Eastern conference. Columbus’ average scoring margin this season is -0.5, leading to an overall puck line record of 20-13. At their home arena, they have a scoring margin of -0.3, while on the road, it is -0.7.

In their last game, the Blue Jackets went up against the Sabres and emerged as winners with a score of 9-4. Offensively, the Blue Jackets’ offense scored in each period against the Sabres. Of Columbus’ nine goals, one came while in power play. They ended the game with 34 shots on goal and had five giveaways.

Despite being the underdog, Columbus managed to secure a win against the puck line in the game. With a combined total of 13 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 7 goals set for the game.

Washington Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Capitals are averaging 2.4 goals per game which is 31st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 32nd in the league. So far this year, the Capitals are 5-3 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 11-6 in games with fewer shots on goal.

The Capitals come in with an over/under record of 9-19-1. Over the course of the season, they have had 18 games failing to surpass the 6 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 5.3 per game.

Columbus Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Blue Jackets are scoring an 3.2 goals per game this season, ranking 7th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 13th in the league. This year, the Blue Jackets have recorded a 3-4 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have 8-13 record.

This season, the Blue Jackets have an over/under record of 20-13-0. Throughout the season, they have played 20 games that went over the 6 over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is 6.8 per game.

Washington Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Capitals head into the game ranked 23rd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.9 shots per game against Washington. So far, they are 17th in shutouts, achieving 2 shutouts.

Columbus Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Blue Jackets’ defense is 18th in takeaways at 6.2 takeaways per contest. Overall, they are giving up 3.3 goals per game which is 3rd in the NHL.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Trends

• Although Washington has a straight up record of 5-5 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 5-5. The team averaged 2 goals per game in these games.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Columbus has an puck line record of 7-3 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 3-7 overall in these games.
• Columbus has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 puck line in their last five games.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Capitals have gone 2-8 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Prediction

If you’re looking for a moneyline pick, my choice is the Blue Jackets to take down the Capitals at home. With the moneyline currently at -103, I’m placing 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.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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

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* 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.