Capitals Favored Over Slumping Blue Jackets Tuesday

Tuesday's NHL slate is relatively quiet but Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are in action on the road as they visit the slumping Columbus Blue Jackets, who will be looking to end a tw0-game losing skid. The puck drops at 7 PM ET at Nationwide Arena. The Caps are coming off a humbling 5-1 loss to the Auston Matthews-less Toronto Maple Leafs. However, they did beat the Pittsburgh Penguins two days prior. As for the Jackets, they fell to the Seattle Kraken by a score of 3-1 in the Pacific Northwest. Keep reading for the Capitals vs Blue Jackets prediction.

Before we get into the odds and predictions for this game make sure to check out our online sportsbook reviews, and the top NHL betting sites.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Odds

	Puck Line	Moneyline	Total
Washington Capitals	-1.5 (+125)	-201	Ov 6.5 (+100)
Columbus Blue Jackets	+1.5 (-145)	+180	Un 6.5 (-110)

As for odds, the Caps are a clear favorite with -201 moneyline odds for an implied win probability of 66.78%. The Jackets come back as an +180 underdog. The total is set at 6.5 goals and has been hit in three of the last four meetings. Definitely something to keep an eye on.

It's really no surprise the sportsbooks believe Washington will win this one. Not have they only beaten Columbus in three straight meetings, but DC has outscored them 14-4 in the process.

Washington vs Columbus Betting Outlook

The Caps are in the midst of a respectable campaign, sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 26-20-6 record. They're in the playoff mix but need to keep winning games because 10th spot is just three points behind them. Despite Alex Ovechkin having another huge season, it's Washington's defense that is keeping them afloat, allowing just 2.83 goals per game. That ranks 10th in the NHL. Scoring-wise, they've buried 3.1 goals per night, which is 17th. Ovi leads the charge with 32 goals and 22 assists. Evgeny Kuznetsov is the ultimate playmaker, registering 35 assists and scoring six times. Past Ovechkin, the next closest in terms of offensive production is Marcus Johansson with 13 goals.

Toronto's potent attack proved to be too much for the Caps over the weekend though as the blue line conceded five times. The only goal came from Nicklas Backstrom in the first period. After that, Washington was very quiet. However, Tuesday looks like a prime opportunity for them to get back on track. Columbus is atrocious defensively and the Capitals have scored a boatload of goals in past meetings.

The acquisition of Johnny Gaudreau hasn't done much for the Blue Jackets, who are downright struggling. The team is 17 games below .500 at 15-32-3 and just 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. Things continue to get worse. They're also towards the bottom of the NHL in nearly every major category, which certainly doesn't translate to success. Gaudreau has 13 goals and 35 assists, while four others have registered double-digits in scoring. That being said, the highest scorer is Boone Jenner with 14. Not good enough.

Columbus was just frankly outplayed by a much better Seattle team on Saturday and unfortunately, their upcoming schedule is daunting. The Jackets face the Maple Leafs twice, Devils, Jets, and Stars. That sounds like more losses for them. At least the next two contests are at home, where they're slightly better. 11 of their wins have come in front of the Blue Jackets faithful.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Prediction

If you bet on Columbus in 2022-23, you're rolling the dice. I fully expect Ovechkin and Co. to come out and convincingly beat the Blue Jackets. Expect Ovi to get back on the scoresheet here and lead his team to a victory.

Washington Capitals To cover vs Columbus Blue Jackets

-1.5 (+125)

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