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The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking shaky and need something to boost their morale. What better way to get them going again than to score a win against the reigning Stanley Cup champions Colorado Avalanche this Friday in Finland. Of course, that is going to be easier said than done, given the fact that, well, the Avs are the current kings of the league, but Colorado is also skidding of late. Will the Blue Jackets stop their bleeding and snap their three-game losing streak by taking down Colorado? Or will the Avalanche prevent losing three games in a row by adding to the woes of Columbus? With that said, let’s now take a look at our NHL odds series for this Blue Jackets-Avalanche showdown.
Here are the Blue Jackets-Avalanche NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Blue Jackets-Avalanche
Blue Jackets: +1.5 (-114)
Avalanche: -1.5 (-106)
Over: 6.5 (-112)
Under: 6.5 (-108)
Why the Blue Jackets Could Cover the Spread
The Blue Jackets are hoping that a trip across to Europe will be the cure to their malaise. Johnny Gaudreau and the Blue Jackets are in the middle of a slump, having lost all of their last three games and four of their last five. Columbus' morale got dinged badly in its most recent outing, as the Blue Jackets got trucked by the New Jersey Devils last Sunday on the road, 7-1. Prior to that, the Blue Jackets suffered back-to-back losses at home to the Arizona Coyotes and the Boston Bruins.
That said, Columbus is undeniably a talented team led by an elite talent in Gaudreau, who paces the Blue Jackets this season with eight points on five goals and three assists. He's going to need help, of course, and he's hoping that Patrik Laine will be able to contribute. Laine has recorded zero points in three games since returning from an elbow injury. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old Laine is always a huge scoring threat.
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He just tallied 26 goals in 56 games a season ago. Plus, he is back home in his native Finland, and that could finally get him going again. So far this season, Laine only has a goal. Perhaps having a long rest will also do wonders for the Blue Jackets, who have won four of their last five games following three full days of time away from the ice.
Why the Avalanche Could Cover the Spread
Like the Blue Jackets, the Avalanche are also on a skid. Avalanche is 0-2 in their last two contests. They are coming off a 5-4 road loss to the New York Islanders on the road last Saturday, but there is absolutely no reason for Colorado to press the panic button. For one, the Avs have just gotten good news, with forward Valeri Nichushkin expected to return to action after missing a couple of games, which coincided with the aforementioned back-to-back Colorado losses. Despite his absence due to a lower-body injury, Nichushkin is still leading the Avalanche in terms of goals (7) and points (12). Nichushkin has been practicing with the team lately, so he should be good to go in this clash against the Blue Jackets.
Colorado's offense isn't playing at the level it had in the 2021-22 NHL season, but it could finally break out against the Blue Jackets, whose leaky blueline and faulty goaltending present a terrific opportunity for Nichushkin and the Avalanche to get back to their high-scoring ways. So far this season, Colorado is just 18th in the NHL with 3.11 goals for per game and 16th in shooting percentage (10.0%).
Conversely, the Blue Jackets are last in the NHL with 4.4 goals for per outing. Also watch out for Colorado's special teams to put on a show Friday, considering that it is No. 1 in the NHL with a 39.9 percent success rate on the man advantage. Blue Jackets' goaltenders are also struggling mightily this season, so it might not really matter whether Columbus starts Elvis Merzlikins or Daniil Tarasov. Among goalies this season with at least three games played, Merzlikins has the worst goals saved above expected (-9.2) while Tarasov has a -1.8 goals above expected. For what it's worth, Colorado is 19-7 in its last 26 games on a Friday.
Final Blue Jackets-Avalanche Prediction & Pick
Sure, both teams are losing of late, but between the Blue Jackets and the Avalanche, it does appear that Columbus has more problems to sort out than Colorado, which is at least playing much more consistent defense compared. With Nichushkin coming back, expect the Avalanche to be a bigger problem for Columbus, which is also fourth-worst in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals against (24.3). Taking the Avalanche to win and cover.
Final Blue Jackets-Avalanche Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (-106)
