Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Detroit Red Wings Betting Preview
Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit
When: Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Columbus Blue Jackets (-135) vs. Detroit Red Wings (+115); total: 5.5 – view all NHL lines
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Betting on the Columbus Blue Jackets (33-13-5)
Columbus has gone cold. After a scorching 16-game win streak, the Blue Jackets are just 6-8-1. They’re also on a two-game skid, losing back to back to Pittsburgh, 4-3, in overtime and New Jersey, 5-1, respectively.
Sergei Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets’ defense have sagged during the team’s current struggle. Columbus is seventh in the league with 2.5 goals allowed per contest on the season, but has given up 21 goals in the past five outings. Bobrovsky will look to get back his top form later tonight against Detroit, which he had an easy time containing the last time he met them. Bobrovsky made 32 saves on 33 shots faced in a 4-1 win over Detroit last Dec. 9 , a performance that earned him first star honors. Bobrovsky is 28-10-3 with a 2.19 GAA and .926 SV% so far this season.
Apart from Bobrovsky’s goaltending, another area the Blue Jackets are having issues with is their power play. They’re tops in the NHL with 24.3 PP% but have gone 2-for-17 on the man advantage in their last nine games.
Seth Jones is a positive for the Blue Jackets lately, though. The defenseman has seven points over his last six games.
Columbus is 5-2 in its last seven games in Detroit.
Betting on the Detroit Red Wings (22-21-9)
Petr Mrazek is hoping he’s still in the zone later tonight. Mrazek played like a man possessed on Saturday, when he made 42 saves in a 1-0 road win over Nashville. That’s the second straight win by Detroit, which beat the Islanders on Feb. 3 5-4 after losing all of its previous five assignments.
Mrazek will be in a duel with Bobrovsky, whom the Red Wings could be catching at a good time. Detroit’s far from being an elite offensive tea—just 25th in the league with 2.4 goals per game—but having seen New Jersey, which is just 27th in the NHL in scoring, come up with five goals against Bobrovsky on Saturday should help boost Detroit’s confidence. Furthermore, Bobrovsky has allowed 18 goals in his last four starts.
While Detroit scored just one goal in the earlier matchup with the Blue Jackets, it was able to win the possession battle, outshooting the Red Wings.
Henrik Zetterberg, who leads the team in points (38) has two goals and three assists in his last three games.
Writer’s Prediction
Columbus (-135) wins, 3-2.
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