Ice Hockey. NHL
Stadium: Nationwide Arena (Columbus)
Washington has beaten Columbus in Ohio only once in their last three head-to-head encounters. Will Peter Laviolette's team be able to win on such a tough road trip now? Our prediction: the Capitals will be closer to success!
Columbus form
Columbus has had a very uneven regular season, still refusing to give up to pursue the playoff zone. The Blue Jackets seemed to be in no danger of any Cup battles, but in February they had a great stretch of nine wins against two losses. Unfortunately, they were not able to maintain such a pace, so they lost six times in the next seven games. In the last three games, they defeated Minnesota (3-2), Vegas (6-4), and Ottawa (4-1). Such results leave Columbus in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but they are 11 points behind the top-8, which will be very difficult to make up for.
Washington form
Washington is another team that is having a very uneven regular season. Things started out very well for the Capitals, but by the middle of the season they slowed down drastically and began to make a lot of misfires. In their 2020 debut, Peter Laviolette's team lost 14 of 22 games, which had a serious impact on their position. Fortunately, the Red and Blues are slowly climbing out of the crisis, as they have not left the ice without points in six consecutive matches, having won five games in this stretch, with one loss to Edmonton in overtime (3-4). Despite such a solid run, Washington is still eighth in the Eastern Conference standings, with no guarantee of making the playoffs.
Head-to-head encounters
During the regular NHL championships, the teams have played 46 face-offs. The Blue Jackets 18 wins, the Capitals stronger in 27 games, one game a draw. The goal difference is also on the side of the guests, 137-124. The rivals have met three times in the current season. Two times it was Washington who celebrated victory (4-3 and 3-1), and once it was Columbus players who were stronger (5-4).
Expert Betting Tips
Columbus and Washington are neighbors in the Eastern Conference standings, but they are separated by 11 points at the moment. Perhaps, the upcoming battle is the last chance for the Blue Jackets to cling to the playoff zone. However, Peter Laviolette has a more powerful and balanced squad at his disposal, which will not allow the plans of the hosts to come true. Now the Capitals have made good progress, scoring points in six consecutive games, so now they are the favorites, and you can bet on their victory with odds of about 1.80.
Columbus has showed a very cautious and closed play in recent years, but after the change of the head coach, they began to act in a more aggressive and attacking manner. All this led to them conceding a lot, but they are still scoring decently. They have already managed 203 goals in 61 matches (3.33 average per game). Washington is also quite good in terms of scoring, as evidenced by the 201 goals scored in 61 games (3.30 average per game). Given that, we can expect a high-scoring match, so it's safe to bet on Total Over (6.5) at odds close to 2.20.
Tom Wilson is having another strong season. The 27-year-old forward is increasingly proving that he's not only ready to play in containment, intimidating his opponents, but also capable of creating scoring chances of his own. In 57 games played in the current regular season, the Canadian has already scored 40 points (18 goals + 22 assists) and is only two points away from breaking his personal record. Obviously, the player is in good shape, so it is worth betting on his Total Over (0.5) at odds of about 1.90.
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