Two of the least-penalized clubs in the NHL, the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets face off at Nationwide Arena in an Eastern Conference tilt. The action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, November 24, and fans at home will be able to catch it live on Fox Sports Ohio.
Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets Odds
With a moneyline of -160, Columbus comes into the matchup as the heavy favorite. The line for Ottawa sits at +140, and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals (-130 for the under, +110 for the over).
Columbus is 14-8 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 4.2 units this season. That winning percentage, ranked fourth in the league in this young season, is fairly close to the 50-32 record the team posted during the 2016-17 season campaign. Of the teams 22 games this season, nine have gone under the total, while nine have gone over and none have pushed. The teams 7-4 SU at home this season.
The Blue Jackets have converted on just 9.8 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked ninth overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 83.6 percent of all penalties.
The Blue Jackets, as a collective unit, have been whistled for penalties just 2.9 times per game overall this season, and 1.8 per game over their past five match ups. The teams had to stave off opposition power plays for just 5.0 minutes per game over their last 10 matchups, overall.
Boasting a .936 save percentage and 28.5 saves per game, Sergei Bobrovsky (13 wins, five losses, and one OT loss) has been the top option in goal for Columbus this year. If Columbus chooses to give him a rest, however, the team might turn to Joonas Korpisalo (1-3-3 record, .896 save percentage, 3.27 goals against average).
The Jackets will continue seeking leadership via Artemi Panarin and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Panarin (15 points) has produced five goals and 10 assists and has recorded multiple points in two different games this year. Bjorkstrand has five goals and eight assists to his credit and has recorded at least one point in 12 contests.
Over on the other bench, Ottawa is 8-12 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.3 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. A total of 12 of its games have gone over the total, while eight have gone under and none have pushed. As an away team so far, the Senators are 4-3 SU.
The Senators have converted on just 16.9 percent of their power play chances this season, a figure that places them in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 20th overall and it’s successfully killed off 78.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Ottawa’s skaters have been penalized only 3.6 times per game in total this season, 3.0 per game over their past five match ups total, and 3.0 per game over their last five games as the visiting team. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays just 8.7 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Craig Anderson (24.1 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for Ottawa. Anderson owns a 7-9-3 record, and has registered a .896 save percentage and 2.94 goals against average this year.
Mark Stone (13 goals, eight assists) will pace the offensive counter for the visiting Senators.
Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Blue Jackets, O/U – Under
Betting Trends:
- Ottawa is 1-4 in games decided by a shootout this season while Columbus is 2-1 in shootouts.
- The total has gone under in each of Columbus last five outings.
- Ottawa has managed 28.2 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Columbus is averaging 35.4 shots per game over its last five home outings.
- Columbus has allowed 2.4 goals per game overall this year, but has brought that figure down to 0.8 per match up over its five-game win streak.
- Five of Ottawa’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 1-4 in those games.
- Ottawa skaters have accounted for the 10th-most hits in the league (22.4 per game), but that numbers down to just 19.0 hits over their last five away games.
