Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Washington Capitals Betting Preview
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
When: Thursday, March 23, 2017, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Columbus Blue Jackets (+160) vs. Washington Capitals (-190); total: 5.0 – view all NHL lines
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Betting on the Columbus Blue Jackets (41-13-7)
The Blue Jackets weren’t on top of their games Wednesday night, as they succumbed to Toronto at home, 5-2. The loss was the team’s first in five games and just the second in the last 10.
The Blue Jackets will have to recover their form tonight, as they are up against league leader Washington. The likely return of Sergei Bobrovsky in front of the net for Columbus should be a big boost for the Blue Jackets, who had to endure having backup Joonas Korpisalo minding the net in the Toronto game with Bobrovsky resting.
Bobrovsky has been lights out this season, but he’s playing even better this March in which he is 7-0-0 with a 1.14 GAA and .963 SV% thus far. On the season, he leads the league with 39 wins and sports a 2.04 GAA and .931 SV% for Columbus, which is second in the NHL with just 2.3 goals allowed per game.
Bobrovsky started in the previous three meetings with Washington this season, going 2-1-0 with a 2.89 GAA and .879 SV%.
Columbus is 4-1 in its last five road games.
Betting on the Washington Capitals (47-19-6)
The Caps aren’t having a good month. While they are 3-0-1 in their last four games, the Capitals are just 5-4-1 this month, which includes a four-game losing streak.
Notwithstanding an irregular March, the Caps will always be a team that any opponent couldn’t afford to take lightly, especially when they’re playing in Washington. The Caps have 29 wins at home, the most by any team thus far this season. Furthermore, they’ve lost just three games at the nation’s capital in the last 20 times they’ve played there. That stretch includes their 5-0 blowout win over Columbus on Jan. 5, which also stopped the Blue Jackets’ 16-game win streak.
Braden Holtby received first-star honors in that game, as he stopped all of the Blue Jackets’ 29 shots. Holtby isn’t having as terrific of a month as Bobrovsky has, but his 5-3-1 record to go with a 2.60 GA are still signs of how capable the Washington goalie is of dictating the outcome of the game.
Washington appears to have a good read of the Blue Jackets’ power play attack. The Caps have snuffed all of Columbus’ 10 power play opportunities across three meetings this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Washington (-190) wins, 3-1.
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