The Columbus Blue Jackets (21-41-7) wrap up a 5-game road trip Tuesday against the Washington Capitals (33-31-7). Puck drop from Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Blue Jackets vs. Capitals odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Blue Jackets were blasted last time out against the Vegas Golden Knights, falling 7-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday. The Blue Jackets have lost 3 in a row, and have managed just 3 of 16 available points in the last 8 games, going 1-6-1 during the skid.
The Capitals were tripped up 5-3 on the road against the Minnesota Wild last time out on Sunday, and it has dropped 3 of the last 4 games overall.
Washington is still in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but it is currently tied for 10th with 73 points, 6 points out of the final wild-card spot with just 11 regular-season games remaining.
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Blue Jackets at Capitals odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:26 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Blue Jackets +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Capitals -240 (bet $240 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Blue Jackets +1.5 (-115) | Capitals -1.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Blue Jackets at Capitals projected goalies
Daniil Tarasov (3-11-1, 3.77 GAA, .896 SV%) vs. Charlie Lindgren (13-9-2, 2.87 GAA, .902 SV%)
Tarasov coughed up 5 goals on 29 shots in 2 periods in Vegas on Sunday before giving way to Michael Hutchinson for the 3rd period. He has been disastrous in 3 March starts, going 1-2-0 with a 6.22 GAA and .841 SV%.
Lindgren was dinged for 5 goals on 40 shots in Minnesota on Sunday. He is doing the heavy lifting with Darcy Kuemper battling an upper-body injury, and the veteran tendy is questionable for Tuesday. To make matters worse, C Evgeny Kuznetsov is also dealing with a UBI after leaving Sunday’s game, so whomever is in the crease will likely have less offensive support.
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Blue Jackets at Capitals picks and predictions
Prediction
Capitals 5, Blue Jackets 3
Moneyline
The Capitals (-240) will cost nearly 2 1/2 times your potential return if you just want to play the heavy favorites straight up. That’s not a great long-term betting strategy.
AVOID, and look to the puck line instead.
Puck line/Against the spread
The CAPITALS -1.5 (-105) are better value at near even-money.
The Blue Jackets +1.5 (-115) are just 13-39 in the last 52 road games, while cashing in just 15 of the last 51 tries against the Metropolitan Division.
For the Caps, there is significant risk. While it is 4-0 in the last 4 games against the Jackets, Washington has covered the puck line in just 1 of the last 9 games as a favorite. Go lightly.
Over/Under
The OVER 6.5 (-110) is the lean.
The Over has cashed in 5 straight outings for the Capitals, while going 5-1 in the past 6 against Eastern Conference teams.
The Over has cashed in 6 of the last 7 games overall for the Blue Jackets, while cashing in 6 of the last 7 games on the road, too.
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For sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Plus, try out the USA TODAY Parlay Calculator and please gamble responsibly.
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