Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will look to both, improve on their recent play while shutting down Artemi Panarin and the streaking Columbus Blue Jackets when they hit th road to take on their conference rivals in a matchup of legitimate Stanley Cup hopefuls.
Now, let’s find out if the defending champs can get the big road upset in this one or whether Columbus is the pick to extend their winning ways.
Capitals vs Blue Jackets NHL Betting Lines & Expert Analysis
Washington embarks upon its longest continuous road trip in more than 15 years on Tuesday night when it faces the Blue Jackets in Columbus.#ALLCAPS #CapsJackets Preview: https://t.co/495kdkg2g7 pic.twitter.com/GEIDZkVczI
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) 12 de febrero de 2019
- When: Tuesday February 12, 2019 at 7:30 PM ET
- Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
- TV: FSOH, NSWA
- Radio: Washington / Columbus
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Odds: Washington +125/Columbus -145 / Total: 6.5
Why Bet On The Washington Capitals?
Why should you back Alex Ovechkin and company in this contest? There are several good reasons MYBookie ice hockey betting faithful. First, Washington has a winning record on the road this season (14-9-2). Next, the Caps have one of the most explosive offenses in all of hockey in averaging a healthy 3.3 goals per game (7th).
Last but not least, there’s the fact that Washington is playing decent hockey, having won three of their last four games coming into this affair including a high-scoring 6-4 win over Los Angeles on Monday night.
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice and added a pair of assists while Ovechkin netted his league-leading 38th goal while also dishing out two assists. The 33-year-old Ovechkin is closing in on the 10th 40-goal campaign of his future Hall of Fame career for Washington.
Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 3.43
- Shots: 30.30
- PP/PK Percentage: 21.08
- Goals: 3.21
- Shots: 32.43
- PP/PK Percentage: 21.88
Why Bet On The Columbus Blue Jackets?
Why should you consider backing Columbus in this matchup? First, the Blue Jackets are playing at home where they’ve gone a modest 14-11-1 so far this season. Then, there’s the fact that Columbus is playing lights out hockey right now, having won three straight games including a hard-fought 4-3 win over Vegas on Saturday.
Like Washington, Columbus has an explosive offense that averages 3.3 goals per game (9th). Cam Atkinson scored a pair of goals to lead the way to victory while increasing his team-leading total to 31 goals. Forward Artemi Panarin has racked up an impressive11 points over his last seven games.
Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 3.28
- Shots: 31.81
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.67
- Goals: 3.09
- Shots: 30.13
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.86
Capitals vs Blue Jackets NHL Betting Trends
- Washington is 2-11 ATS in the last 13 games
- Washington is 4-2 SU in the last 6 games
- The total went OVER in 7 of Washington’s last 9 games
- Columbus is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games
- Columbus is 2-5 SU in the last 7 games when playing Washington
- The total went OVER in 4 of Columbus’s last 6 games
Expert Analysis and Prediction for Capitals vs Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets might be playing well right now and they might be playing at home, but they haven’t exactly set the place on fire on their home-ice and Washington is most definitely going to be in a message-sending mode in this one in case they meet Columbus in the playoffs.
I know Washington is just 2-5 in their last 7 road games, but the Caps are also 7-3 in their last 10 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division and 16-6 in their last 22 games following a win.
While Columbus has gone 5-1 in their last six games following a win and 9-4 in their last 13 games as a favorite, the Blue Jackets are also an uninspiring 1-4 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record and a discouraging 0-4 in their last four home games against the Caps. I smell an upset brewing in this one!
NHL Betting Pick: Washington 5 Columbus 4
