NHL Pick to Click: Columbus Blue Jackets Live Dogs Against Depleted Washington Capitals

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Washington Capitals Moneyline, Total and Odds

Moneyline: Blue Jackets +220|Capitals -275

Spread: Blue Jackets +1.5 (-105)|Capitals -1.5 (-115)

Total: 6.5 Over -110|Under -110

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Washington Capitals News, Analysis, and Picks

The Washington Capitals resume play after the All-Star break against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Caps will get a boost by the return of Alex Ovechkin, who appears set to rejoin the team for tonight's contest. Still, injuries to a couple of other key players could impact their competitiveness against their intra-divisional foes.

On Tuesday, the Caps will be without T.J. Oshie and primary goalie Vitek Vanecek against the Jackets. That's without considering Ovechkin's effectiveness, as he returns from the COVID-19 list. However, the bigger issue is Washington's performances of late, as they've come out flat over several recent outings, posting game scores below 40 percent in four of their past nine games. Offensive production is impacting their competitiveness, as the Caps have attempted nine or fewer high-danger chances at five-on-five in six of those games, getting out-chanced in two of their previous four games.

Conversely, the Jackets' offense shows signs of coming back to life. Columbus is scoring on 16.5 percent of their shots over their past three games, scoring four-plus in each contest. One of the biggest differences has been their ability to capitalize from high-danger areas, as seven of their 15 goals have come off quality chances. Goaltending is also trending in the right direction, posting above-average save percentages in four of their previous five games.

We're betting that it all comes together for the Jackets against the Capitals. Goaltending and scoring metrics are improving, as they take on a Caps team that is starting their third-string goalie and has struggled offensively over their recent sample. We're taking a calculated risk on the Blue Jackets.

The Picks: Blue Jackets +220

All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.