David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and the Boston Bruins will do battle against Pierre-Luc Dubois, Gustav Nyquist, and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena for an Eastern Conference matchup. The action gets started at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 14, and you can watch it live on New England Sports Network.
Boston Bruins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Odds
With a moneyline of -150, Boston comes into the game as the substantial favorite. The line for Columbus sits at +130, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-140 under, +120 over).
Boston is 27-20 straight up (SU) and has lost 4.7 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 47 regular season outings, 23 of its games have gone under the total, while 20 have gone over and just three have pushed. As the away team in 2019-20, the Bruins are 12-9 SU.
Boston currently has the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as it’s found the net on 28.0 percent of its extra-man chances this year. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked sixth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 83.6 percent of its penalties..
With a .925 save percentage and 28.4 saves per game, Tuukka Rask (17-10-6) has been the best option in goal for Boston this season. If head coach Bruce Cassidy chooses to rest him, however, the team may turn to Jaroslav Halak (10-10-6), who has a .920 save percentage and 2.46 goals against average this year.
On the other side of the rink, Columbus is 22-24 straight up (SU) and has netted 0.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 46 regular season matches, 28 of its games have gone under the total, while 17 have gone over and just one has pushed. This year, the team is 12-11 SU at home.
The Blue Jackets have converted on just 17.3 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s ranked 23rd in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 13th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.3 percent of all penalties.
Joonas Korpisalo has stopped 25.7 shots per game as the primary choice in the crease for the Blue Jackets. Korpisalo has 17 wins, 15 losses, and five overtime losses to his name and has recorded a 2.49 goals against average and a .913 save percentage this year.
Boston Bruins at Columbus Blue Jackets Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Blue Jackets, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The Bruins (0-7 in shootouts this season) has more experience in games decided by shootout. The Blue Jackets came up short in both of its shootouts this year.
- For both of these teams, the under has hit in three of their past five games.
- Boston has attempted 31.3 shots per contest overall this season (ranked 17th in the NHL), and 31.0 in its last five road games.
- Four of Boston’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 3-1 in those games.
- Boston skaters have given out the league’s seventh-most hits per game (23.9), but that number’s down to just 19.4 hits over their last five away games.
