Gila River Arena will be hosting an enticing showdown as the Columbus Blue Jackets pay a visit to the Arizona Coyotes. It’s the final time that the two clubs will go at it in the regular season. The action gets underway at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 7, and you can view this East-West matchup live on Fox Sports Arizona.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Arizona Coyotes Odds
Arizona (-150) is tabbed as the favorite over Columbus (+130), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 7 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -105 money on the over and -115 on the under.
Though the team is 29-23 straight up (SU) this season, Columbus has actually lost 1.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 52 regular season outings, 26 of its games have gone under the total, while 21 have gone over and just five have pushed. The Jackets are 15-10 SU as the away team in 2018-19.
Columbus has converted on just 15.8 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the bottom-5 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, it has the fifth-best penalty kill in the league, and it’s successfully killed off 83.7 percent of all penalties.
Columbus, as a collective unit, has been penalized just 3.1 times per game overall during the 2018-19 season, 3.2 per game over its past five outings total, and 3.0 per game over its last five on the road. The team has had to kill penalties just 5.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 25.8 saves per game with a .901 save percentage, Sergei Bobrovsky (20-17-1) has been the top option in goal for Columbus this season. If Columbus chooses to rest him, however, the team may turn to Joonas Korpisalo (9-11-2), who has a .901 save percentage and 2.95 goals against average this year.
The visiting Blue Jackets will be led by Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. Panarin has 60 points via 20 goals and 40 assists, and has recorded two or more points in 19 different games. Atkinson has 29 goals and 23 assists to his credit (and has notched a point in 32 games).
On the other bench, Arizona is 23-30 straight up (SU) and has lost 1.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. 27 of its outings have gone under the total, while 24 have gone over and just two have pushed. It’s 9-15 SU at home this year.
Arizona has converted on just 16.8 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that places it in the bottom 10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked second overall, and it’s successfully killed off 85.3 percent of all opponent power plays.
Arizona skaters have been penalized 3.6 times per game this season, and 2.7 per game over their past ten outings. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 5.4 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Darcy Kuemper (27.9 saves per game) has been the top option in goal for Arizona. Kuemper has 11 wins, 17 losses, and five overtime losses to his credit and has recorded a pedestrian 2.73 goals against average and a .911 save percentage this season.
The home team offense will be led by Clayton Keller (11 goals, 26 assists).
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Arizona Coyotes Betting Predictions
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Coyotes, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The under has hit in three of Arizona’s last five games.
- Columbus has managed 28.2 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Arizona is averaging 33.6 shots per game over its last five home outings.
- Arizona has managed just 2.3 goals per game, while giving up 3.8, in its last four contests (the team is 0-4 SU over that stretch).
- The Coyotes this season have dished out the 11th-most hits per game in the NHL (23.1), but that number has climbed to 31.4 over their last five home games.
