NHL Betting Pick of the Day: Capitals vs. Blue Jackets (April 12, 2025)
Saturday’s matinee at Ohio’s Nationwide Arena sees the Capitals facing off against the Blue Jackets. Puck drop is at 12:30 pm ET, and the Caps want to secure their postseason slot, and the Blue Jackets? They’ll be fighting for every point that they can get to move up in the standings.
This matinee matchup airs on ABC/ESPN+ and it could shake up the Eastern Conference!
Team Overview & Recent Form
Both teams have something to prove. Washington’s trying to stay hot down the stretch, and Columbus is hoping that they won’t cough up another home game.
Washington Capitals
The Caps have been racking up wins and staying close to the top of the East. They’re not steamrolling teams every night, but they’re getting the job done more often than not.
- Current record: With a record of 50-19-9, they’re one of the most consistent teams in the conference.
- Recent performance: They’ve gone 5-4-1 over their last 10, and recently beat Carolina in a 5-4 shootout on April 10.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus has had their ups and downs, but they’re super scrappy and had some solid efforts as of late, especially on their home ice, but their consistency is still an issue.
- Current record: 36-33-9 for the year, they’re within grasp of the playoff lineup.
- Recent performance: 5-5-0 in the last 10 games, with a 3-2 victory against the Sabres on April 10.
Head-to-Head History
If Columbus wants to win this game, they’ll have to overcome their recent history.
Washington has had their number from the start. The Caps are out in front—the season series is 2-0 with a 7-2 blowout back in November and a closer 2-1 OT win in December. They’ve won 12 of the 14 games against the Jackets, and we don’t call that a streak; we call that running the show.
Key Player Matchups
The star players always show up when it counts, and this game’s got a few from both sides who take over and end up making a difference. Watch out for the following skaters:
Washington Capitals
- Alexander Ovechkin is still doing what Ovechkin does best. He’s up to 42 goals and 28 assists so far, and he’s always a threat to light up the lamp on the power play or fire one home off the rush.
- Dylan Strome has been the Caps’ points leader with 77 (26 G, 51 A). He’s a steady setup player and has fantastic chemistry with Ovi and the rest of the Caps’ top six.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- Kirill Marchenko has been one of the few bright spots of this year’s season. He has 31 goals and 40 assists, is downright dangerous with the puck, and is not scared to let it rip.
- Zach Werenski is driving things from the blue line. He’s coming in with 76 points and playing big minutes. If Columbus is going to have a shot here, Werenski has to be dialed in at both ends.
Injury Report
Neither team is 100% at this point in the season, and both squads are missing some main guys who won’t take the ice on Saturday.
Washington Capitals
- Jakob Chychrun (D): Chychrun is a maybe—he’s listed as having an illness and “questionable.”
- Logan Thompson (G): Thompson is still dealing with an upper-body injury and isn’t expected back until at least April 15.
- Aliaksei Protas (C): Protas is also out (lower body) and likely won’t return until next week at the earliest.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- Elvis Merzlikins (G): Merzlikins is day-to-day with an undisclosed issue, and this is a big one if he can’t play.
- Jake Christiansen (D): Christiansen is also listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and that will hamper their blue line depth.
Betting Trends & Insights
Who are the sportsbooks favoring in this game? Time to talk lines, trends, and why the books are leaning the way that they are! All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Washington | -1.5 (+172) | -142 | Over 6.5 (+106) |
Columbus | +1.5 (-215) | +118 | Under 6.5 (-130) |
Washington Capitals
- The Caps have been solid while on the road—their stats are 19-7 in their last 26 away from home.
- The over has hit in 6 of their last 7 games as the favorite, so, yeah, they’ve been putting pucks in the net.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- The over has been hitting when they’re at home against the stronger road teams: they’re 10-4-1 in their last 15 in that scenario.
- But Saturdays haven’t been anything to write home about—the under is 6-2-1 in their last 9 Saturday games.
Head-to-Head
- Washington has won 6 straight in Columbus.
- The favorite is 12-2 in the last 14 matchups between these two teams. And that’s pretty chalky.
Final Prediction & Best Bet
Where to Watch & BetYou can catch the game live on ABC/ESPN+ at 12:30 pm ET, which is early, so don’t forget to set an alarm if you’re a late sleeper!
And if you want to get in on the betting action? You can hit up FanDuel or another sportsbook (we have a list of the best sports betting sites) for the latest odds, props, and puck line plays.
The Caps have had Columbus’ number all season, playing better hockey, and are still gunning for a position in the playoffs. Columbus could very possibly keep things interesting, but they haven’t proven that they can finish the job against this squad.
- Prediction: Washington takes the W.
- Best Bet: Capitals -1.5 puck line (you can grab it on FanDuel).
- Total: It’s over 6.5 goals, as the trends and recent scores show that there’s a good chance that this one gets up there.
Bonus Prop Bets
Wanna have some fun with prop bets? We think these are solid ones:
- Ovechkin to score a goal. C’mon, it’s obvi because it’s Ovi!
- Strome over 1.5 points. He’s been an unassuming star this season and could rack up assists if it’s a high-scoring game.
- Marchenko over 2.5 shots on goal. He’s been ripping pucks from everywhere, and we have no doubt he’ll do the same in this game.
