Blue Jackets vs. Capitals Prediction
The road team has won every game in the series between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals. Will Washington be the first team to win on their home ice in Game 5 this afternoon in a pivotal contest with Columbus?
Game Snapshot
69 Columbus Blue Jackets at 70 Washington Capitals
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Capital One Arena at 3PM ET
TV: NBC
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Capitals are a -165 favorite on the moneyline. The Blue Jackets are a +145 underdog, while the over-under is set at 5.5 goals. As of Saturday morning, 63 percent of public bets are on host Washington. Check out our NHL Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Holtby provides steady hand
Washington goaltender Braden Holtby entered in Game 2 at home with Philipp Grubauer struggling to defend the net for a second straight contest. While Holtby was unable to prevent a Capitals loss, he was rewarded with the Game 3 start and saved 31 of 33 shots in the 3-2 double overtime victory. He continued his stellar play last game with 23 saves on 24 shots to guide Washington to a 4-1 victory and even the series at 2-2. Holtby had an up-and-down regular season with a 2.99 goals-against average and was benched to start the regular season, but he is on his game right now and could be the difference the Capitals advancing past the first round.
Jones racking up huge ice time
Columbus defenseman Seth Jones, the former No. 1 overall draft pick by Nashville, is used to being on the ice a lot as he averaged 24:36 time on ice during the regular season. But with two overtime games and a double OT game this series, his average is at 31:08 for the playoffs. He finally got a bit of a relief in Game 4 as it did not go to overtime and he was down to 26:22 on the ice. In the double OT contest, he logged 35:04. Jones racked up 16 goals and 41 assists in 78 regular season games, while in the postseason he has a goal and three assists.
NHL Betting Trends
Columbus
The over is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Washington. The Blue Jackets are 3-8 in the last 11 meetings.
Washington
The over is 4-0 in the last four Capitals home games. The road team is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
Public
The Capitals seem to have found their confidence and swagger. As well as they aren’t too cocky, the hosts are the team to bet on here. Washington isn’t out of the woods yet and will not take this game lightly. Don’t be afraid to bet on a Capitals team that will have a very loud crowd backing them.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON CAPITALS -165