Columbus Blue Jackets vs Washington Capitals Prediction, 11/4/2023 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Columbus Blue Jackets vs Washington Capitals

Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023

Location: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

TV: Monumental Sports Network

Odds/Point Spread: Blue Jackets (+140) Capitals (-188)

Capital One Arena is the location where the Washington Capitals (4-4-1) will compete against the Columbus Blue Jackets (4-4-2) on Saturday. The line on this contest has Columbus at +140 while Washington is priced at -188. The over/under has been set at 7.

The Columbus Blue Jackets had a good night with a 4-2 win against the Lightning in the last game they played. Columbus compiled 8 penalty minutes in this game. The Blue Jackets had a good offensive performance and it was apparent in this win. In addition, they had 4 chances on the power play but didn't get a goal. For the outing, they converted 4 out of the 28 shots they launched.

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At even strength, the Blue Jackets let the opposition score 27 goals while scoring 22 on the offensive side of the ice. Columbus Blue Jackets opponents have recorded 34 power play opportunities (17th in hockey) and have come away with 5 goals in those chances. When discussing their goal scoring prowess, the Columbus Blue Jackets have racked up 27 goals (22nd in the league) on the season and have surrendered 32. Columbus has tried 320 shots and is the owner of a shooting percentage of 8.4%. For the current campaign, they have accumulated 10 points and their points percentage comes in at .500. The Blue Jackets thus far have had 323 shots tried against them and have earned a save percentage of .901. Columbus skates onto the rink with 35 power play opportunities and they have notched 5 goals out of those attempts, garnering them a percentage of 14.29%.

The player in the crease for this game is Elvis Merzlikins. The opposition has notched 448 goals versus Merzlikins in his career and his goals against average per game is 3.13. Merzlikins has been in goal for 157 games over the course of his NHL career. His save percentage currently is .906 in his 8,596 mins played. He has amassed an overall record of 58-64-24 and he has started in 144 games. For his professional hockey career, Merzlikins has accounted for 69 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is .479. Merzlikins has had 4,758 shots taken against him and has gathered 4,310 total saves.

In their last outing, Washington went up against the Islanders in an outing where the Capitals took the defeat by a score of 3-0. The Capitals recorded 0 goals of the 32 shots on goal they pursued. They had 3 attempts on the power play in this one but weren't able to notch a goal.

The Capitals have tallied 14 goals at even strength and 3 goals (30th in pro hockey) while having a power play advantage. Washington has attempted 269 shots (28th in professional hockey) and has a shot percentage of 6.32%, while allowing their opponents 264 shots. This season, the Washington Capitals have tallied 17 goals, 9 points, in addition to a points percentage of .500. They have granted a total of 29 goals to be scored by way of 22 goals at even strength and 7 goals while they were shorthanded. They have a total of 28 power play chances and they have accumulated a power play percentage of 10.71%. They have accumulated a penalty kill percentage of 76.67% on the other teams 30 opportunities on the power play, and their save percentage is 89.0%.

Across the rink you are likely to see Darcy Kuemper in net. His opponents are averaging 2.55 goals per contest and he has surrendered 873 goals overall. Kuemper's quality start percentage is 55.1% and he has 190 quality starting assignments in his pro hockey career. He has made the start in 345 games and his ice time sits at 20,511 mins. Kuemper holds a career mark of 168-124-44 and has played in 363 games. He has gathered 9,492 stops out of the 10,365 shots tried, which gives him a percentage of .916.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony's Pick: Take Washington (-188)

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