NHL Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Washington Capitals – Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024
The Washington Capitals (19-6-2) and Columbus Blue Jackets (12-13-3) will duel it out on Thursday, December 12 at 7:30 PM ET at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. For this NHL betting opportunity, the Capitals are favored with a moneyline at -155.
Washington Capitals Betting Preview
The Capitals have won their last two games, with their most recent success being a 4-2 outing over the Montreal Canadiens. This is their second game in a row where they have scored at least three goals.
Tom Wilson led with two goals, both of which were scored in the third period. This was a big boost since they were already down 2-0 going into the second period.
They were able to remain aggressive in getting shots off. They had 35 shot attempts and landed four, while the defense held the Canadiens to 24 shots. If they can keep this differential similar to this, then they will have a good opportunity to come up.
The Capitals are averaging 4.04 goals and are firing off 29.0 shots a game. Their defense has been allowing opposing teams to average 2.74 goals and 27.4. This is a great spread, assuming they click offensively.
Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Preview
The Blue Jackets got put back on the losing side after a 5-3 defeat against the Philadelphia Flyers. They were able to make this game more respectable on paper with two goals in the third period, but the damage had already been done early on.
Sean Monahan was able to land one of those goals late in the third period. He now has nine goals total this year, but Kirill Marchenko leads the team with 10 scored so far. They will need all of the offense to be on the same page if they want to find success.
They will have to be more aggressive on offense and cannot settle for just 18 shots again. They also needed to step it up defensively, as they allowed the Flyers to get off 25 shots.
The Blue Jackets are putting together 3.39 goals and 30.4 shots a game. On defense they have allowed their opponents to score 3.61 goals and take 28.2 shots. This shows how one small mistake could code them the game.
Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick
MyBookie has you covered for the Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets showdown. Current odds show the Capitals favored, which makes sense given their style of play. They have played once already this season, with the Capitals winning 7-2.
The Capitals are 11-2-0 on the road while the Blue Jackets are 8-4-1 at home. The Capitals have a better margin of error when looking at goals scored and made each game, which means they have a great opportunity to add to their win streak.
Final Pick: Washington Capitals -155
