Prediction, Prop Picks & Odds for Capitals vs Blue Jackets Game on Saturday, April 12th

• The Washington Capitals visit the Columbus Blue Jackets in a Saturday matinee matchup
• The Caps are road favorites, but Columbus has kept their slim playoff hopes alive
• Read on for our Capitals vs Blue Jackets predictions, featuring a best bet and two player props

The Washington Capitals (50-19-9) travel to Ohio for an early afternoon tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets (36-33-9) on Saturday. Puck drop from Nationwide Arena is set for 12:30 pm ET, with ABC carrying the national broadcast.

NHL odds favor the Metropolitan Division champion Capitals, installing them as -134 moneyline road chalk. The total is set at 6.5 goals, juiced to the Under at -115.

Let’s break down the matchup and offer up our best Capitals vs Blue Jackets prediction and pick.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Prediction

While Washington has clinched a playoff spot, Columbus is still clinging to faint postseason aspirations. The Jackets have rattled off back-to-back wins to stave off elimination, but they need a victory on Saturday to keep those hopes alive.

Expect the Caps to get Columbus’ best effort as a result. The Blue Jackets have been a stellar Over bet all season long, going above the total in 44 of 78 games. They’re the second-most profitable Over team in the NHL, netting backers +8.75 units along the way.

The high-scoring trend is even more prevalent at Nationwide Arena, where the Jackets are 25-13-1 to the Over. CBJ home games average a healthy 6.7 total goals, and I expect more of the same on Saturday afternoon.

Washington has been filling the net themselves of late. The Over has hit in six of the Caps’ last nine contests, including a wild 5-4 shootout win over Carolina on Thursday. With Alex Ovechkin still a longshot for a 50-goal season, look for the future Hall of Famer to be firing on net frequently.

These teams have already shown a tendency for high-scoring affairs this season. The last two meetings saw totals of 9 and 3 goals, with five of the previous six matchups reaching the 6+ goal threshold.

Key Capitals vs Blue Jackets Stats

Charlie Lindgren will likely start for Washington, and the veteran journeyman has struggled in April with a 3.37 GAA and .868 save percentage. The Blue Jackets are expected to counter with Jet Greaves, who has been solid in limited action but remains relatively inexperienced.

From an offensive standpoint, these teams match up well. The Caps are first in the NHL in goals per game (3.59), with Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson and Pierre-Luc Dubois all topping the 50-point plateau. Columbus has some firepower of their own, ranking 11th in scoring (3.17 goals/game).

Defensively, it’s a different story. The Jackets rank 27th in goals against per game (3.40) and 25th on the penalty kill. That spells trouble against a Washington power play clicking at a top-12 rate (23.7%).

The game script also favors a high-scoring affair. Columbus needs a win to maintain their playoff hopes, while the Caps are battling for seeding. In their last 10 games, CBJ contests are averaging a whopping 7.7 total goals, with both teams scoring 3.3+ goals per game over that span. Buckle up.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Best Bets

Best Bet: Over 6.5 Goals (-105 at Caesars)
As outlined above, all signs point to a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair on Saturday afternoon. Hammer the Over and enjoy what should be a wildly entertaining matinee matchup.

Prop Bet: Ovechkin Anytime Goal (-102 at FanDuel)
Ovi has goals in his last three games against Columbus. He remains one of the NHL’s top snipers and should get plenty of opportunities against the Jackets’ struggling PK unit.

Prop Bet: Werenski Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-105 at DraftKings)
The Blue Jackets’ star defenseman is a shot-generating machine, averaging 3.71 per game on the season. He’s cleared this line in three straight matchups against the Caps, including an 8-shot effort in their last meeting. At near-even money, there’s value on the Over.

Capitals vs Blue Jackets Odds

Odds via Caesars as of April 12th at 9:37 am ET.

The Over set at 6.5, an indicator of how oddsmakers envision this one playing out. You can find an excellent -105 price at Caesars, which is the best number I’ve seen across major NHL betting sites.

For player props, FanDuel offers Ovechkin to score at anytime at -102, while DraftKings hangs Werenski’s shots line at 2.5 (-105). I love the value on both, as they correlate well with our prediction of a high-event hockey game.

Puck drops at 12:30 pm ET on ABC. Enjoy what should be a wildly entertaining Metropolitan Division showdown between the Capitals and the desperate Blue Jackets battling for their playoff lives. Thanks for reading and good luck with your picks!

The Washington Capitals will face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, April 12th in what is sure to be an exciting matchup. Both teams have had successful seasons so far, with the Capitals currently sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division and the Blue Jackets not far behind in fourth place.

When it comes to predictions for this game, it’s always a tough call when two evenly matched teams go head to head. However, the Capitals have been on a hot streak lately, winning seven of their last ten games. They have a strong offense led by Alex Ovechkin, who is currently leading the league in goals scored. The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, have been struggling a bit as of late, losing five of their last ten games.

In terms of prop picks, keep an eye on Ovechkin to score at least one goal in this game. He has been on fire recently and is always a threat to find the back of the net. Another prop pick to consider is the over/under on total goals scored in the game. Both teams have potent offenses, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a high-scoring affair.

As for the odds, the Capitals are currently favored to win this game with odds of -150, while the Blue Jackets are the underdogs with odds of +130. This means that if you bet $150 on the Capitals and they win, you would win $100, while a $100 bet on the Blue Jackets would net you $130 if they come out on top.

Overall, this game is shaping up to be a close one, but the Capitals have the edge based on their recent performance and offensive firepower. However, anything can happen in hockey, so be sure to tune in on Saturday to see how it all plays out.