Winnipeg Jets vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Free Preview 1/22/20

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Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and the Winnipeg Jets will face off against Pierre-Luc Dubois, Gustav Nyquist, and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in an East-West showdown. Sportsnet will broadcast the matchup, which gets going at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 22.

Winnipeg Jets vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Odds

Boasting a -160 moneyline, Columbus enters the contest as the noticeable favorite. The line for the Jets is standing at +140 and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).

Columbus is 26-24 straight-up (SU) and has earned 5.1 units for moneyline bettors this season. That early-season winning percentage is a regression from the 47-35 record that the team posted during last year’s regular season campaign. Out of the team’s 50 regular season outings, 32 of them have gone under the total, while 17 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team’s 15-11 SU at home this year.

The Blue Jackets have converted on just 17.1 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that places them in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 10th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 82.4 percent of all penalties.

Sporting a .913 save percentage and 25.7 saves per game, Joonas Korpisalo (17-15-5) has been the principal goalkeeper for the Jackets this season. If Columbus chooses to rest him, however, the team might turn to Elvis Merzlikins (8-12-12 record, .928 save percentage, 2.36 goals against average).

Winnipeg has earned moneyline bettors 3.3 units this season and is currently 25-25 straight up (SU). A total of 25 of its games have gone under the total, while 23 have gone over and just one has pushed. The Jets are 14-12 SU as the visiting team this season.

The Jets have converted on 19.6 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 28th overall and it’s successfully killed off 75.0 percent of all penalties.

Connor Hellebuyck (28.0 saves per game) has been the primary option in the net for Winnipeg. Hellebuyck has 22 wins, 20 losses, and four OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .917 save percentage and 2.74 goals against average this year.

Winnipeg Jets vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Predictions

Prediction: SU Winner – Jets, O/U – Over

Betting Notes

  • Over Columbus’ last ten outings, five of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 4-1 in those games).
  • The Jets are 12-14 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 17-22 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total.
  • Columbus is 0-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while Winnipeg is 3-1 in shootouts.
  • The under has hit in each of Columbus’ last five games.
  • Winnipeg has averaged 11.2 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 10.5 giveaways per game (ranked 20th in the league).
  • Columbus skaters have averaged 11.4 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 9.1 giveaways per game (the 10th-fewest in the NHL).
  • Winnipeg skaters have accounted for the ninth-most hits in the league (23.3 per game).