Two teams that have put themselves squarely in playoff contention, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Vegas Golden Knights face off at T-Mobile Arena. AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain will showcase this East-West matchup, and the action gets going at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 9.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Vegas Golden Knights Odds
Vegas (-160) is the favorite over Columbus (+140). If you want to put some action on the matchup’s Over/Under (O/U) total, you’ll be looking at -125 for over 6 goals and +105 for under under..
Losing 2.8 units for moneyline bettors, the Golden Knights are 31-25 straight up (SU) overall thus far. That win percentage, ranked third in the Pacific Division so far in the early season, is a slide from what the team managed during the 2017-18 season (51-31). Through 56 regular season outings, 28 of its games have gone under the total, while 24 have gone over and just four have pushed. The team is 16-9 SU at home this season.
Vegas has converted on 18.8 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked fifth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 83.9 percent of all penalties.
Vegas, as a collective unit, has been whistled for penalties just 3.2 times per game overall this season, 3.4 per game over its last five contests total, and 2.6 per game over its last five home outings. The team has had to defend opponent power plays for just 5.8 minutes per game over its last 10 matchups, in total.
Boasting a .912 save percentage and 25.3 saves per game, Marc-Andre Fleury (29 wins, 19 losses, and four OT losses) has been the principal goalkeeper for the Golden Knights this year. If head coach Gerard Gallant decides to give him a rest, however, the Knights might turn to Malcolm Subban (2-6-6 record, .904 save percentage, 2.95 goals against average).
Alex Tuch and Jonathan Marchessault will both be focal points for the Golden Knights. Tuch (40 points) has tallied 16 goals and 24 assists and has recorded multiple points 10 times this year. Marchessault has 19 goals and 19 assists to his credit and has recorded at least one point in 26 games.
Columbus has lost 0.6 units for moneyline bettors this year and is currently 30-23 straight up (SU). Through 53 regular season contests, 26 of its games have gone under the total, while 21 have gone over and just six have pushed. As the visiting team , Columbus is 16-10 SU.
Columbus has converted on just 16.2 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that places it in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked fifth overall and it’s successfully defended 84.0 percent of all opponent power plays.
Columbus’ players have been penalized only 3.1 times per game in total this season, 3.0 per game over their last five contests total, and 3.4 per game over their last five games as the visiting team. The team’s had to kill penalties just 5.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Sergei Bobrovsky (25.9 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for Columbus. Bobrovsky owns a 21-17-1 record, while registering a .902 save percentage and 2.98 goals against average this year.
For the visiting Blue Jackets, the offense will be facilitated by Artemi Panarin (20 goals, 40 assists) and Cam Atkinson (29 goals, 23 assists).
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Vegas Golden Knights Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Golden Knights, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- The under has hit in three of Vegas’ last five games.
- Columbus has managed 28.6 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Vegas is averaging 36.8 shots per game over its last five home outings.
- Power plays and penalty kills may be critical in this matchup. The Blue Jackets are 16-8 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 24-19 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Golden Knights are 12-10 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 25-20 when their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- One of the top teams when it comes to pressuring opposing teams, Vegas is ranked 3rd in the NHL with 10.3 takeaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as the team has created 8.3 takeaways over its last 10 games and 7.0 takeaways over its last five.
- Columbus is ranked 17th in the league with 7.3 takeaways per game. That figure has trended higher lately, as it’s averaged 8.7 takeaways over its last 10 games and 8.8 takeaways over its last five.
