The Washington Capitals at Nationwide Arena in Game 6 of the postseason’s first round. The match will get underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 23, and you can catch it live on CNBC, RSN, TVA2 and FSOH.
Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets Odds
The money line for each team is currently set at an identical -110. The Over/Under (O/U), set at 6 goals, initially opened at -110 for the over and -110 for the under. That line’s moved since then, and it now sits at -105 for the over, -115 for the under.
Washington is 52-35 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 10.8 units this season. 49 of its outings have gone over the total, while 36 have gone under and just two have pushed. This 2017-18 Capitals team is 23-20 SU on the road.
Following a regular season where they found the net on 23.5 percent of all power-play opportunities (the seventh-best), the Capitals have been able to score on 33.3 percent of their postseason power plays.
Washington’s offensive attack attempted 29.6 shots per game in the regular season, leading to 3.2 goals per contest (ranked ninth overall in the NHL). In the postseason, the club’s risen to an average of 39.0 shots on goal 3.6 goals per game.
Boasting a .909 save percentage and 27.5 saves per game, Braden Holtby (37-21-5) has been the top option in goal for Washington this season. If Washington decides to rest him, however, they could turn to Philipp Grubauer (15-22-5), who has a .919 save percentage and 2.47 goals against average this year.
Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov will both lead the way for the visiting Capitals. Ovechkin has 93 points via 52 goals and 41 assists, and has recorded multiple points in 27 different games. Kuznetsov has 31 goals and 59 assists to his credit, and has logged at least one point in 52 games.
Over on the other bench, Columbus is 47-40 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.4 units for moneyline bettors this year. 44 of its matches have gone over the total, while 42 have gone under and just one has pushed. It’s 26-17 SU at home this season.
Columbus has converted on just 17.3 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a mark that places it in the bottom 10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 27th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 75.1 percent of all penalties.
Columbus players have been sent to the penalty box only 3.1 times per game in total this season, and 4.8 per game over their past five outings. The team’s had to kill penalties just 6.4 minutes per contest over their last five home games.
Sergei Bobrovsky has stopped 28.7 shots per game as the primary netminder in goal for Columbus. Bobrovsky has 39 wins, 31 losses, and eight overtime losses to his name and has recorded a .920 save percentage and 2.46 goals against average this season.
The home team offense will be led by Artemi Panarin (29 goals, 60 assists).
Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Predictions
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Blue Jackets, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes
The total has gone over in three of Columbus’ last five games.
The Blue Jackets have averaged the league’s fifth-most shots on goal (33.6) while the Capitals have attempted the 31st-most (only 33.6).
Over Washington’s last ten games, five of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 4-1 in those games).
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