The 2022-23 NHL schedule begins on Wednesday for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes. The Carolina Hurricanes are aiming for a long postseason run, making a major off-season trade, acquiring Brent Burns from the San Jose Sharks. Columbus was the final landing spot for highly coveted free agent Johnny Gaudreau, and the Blue Jackets hope combining Gaudreau with Patrik Laine leads the Blue Jackets through a successful 2022-23 season and into the NHL playoffs in the spring.
The journey to the NHL playoffs begins with game one of the regular season. This Blue Jackets vs Hurricanes prediction will break down the important NHL player stats from the pre-season to find the best pick for your betting ticket today. Puck drop for the Blue Jackets vs. Hurricanes is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. ET on Wednesday, October 12th, from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Carolina Hurricanes Odds
As of publication, online sportsbooks have the Carolina Hurricanes listed as the moneyline betting favorite, with odds ranging from -227 to -250. The Columbus Blue Jackets are the moneyline betting underdog, with odds ranging from +185 to +200.
The puck line spread is set to 1.5. The Columbus Blue Jackets (+1.5) are the betting favorite to cover the spread, with odds listed between -130 and -135. The Caroline Hurricanes (-1.5) are the betting underdog, listed with odds ranging from +105 to +115.
The total goals for the Hurricanes game today are listed at 6 or 6.5, depending on your online sportsbook. The odds for the over of 6 goals is listed at -115 odds, while the over where sportsbooks have the game listed at 6.5 goals is set at +100. The odds for the under of 6 goals is listed at -105, while the over where sportsbooks have the game listed at 6.5 goals is set at -125.
Matchup Information
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Carolina Hurricanes Betting Preview
The Columbus Blue Jackets had a 4-2-2 (W-L-OTL) in the 2022 NHL Preseason. During the preseason, the Blue Jackets met the Hurricanes on October 3rd with terrible results. The Hurricanes defeated the Blue Jackets 8-1.
However, this game will play no role in our Blue Jackets vs Hurricanes prediction. Simply reviewing the rosters for this NHL matchup reveals that while the Carolina Hurricanes had a very representative roster, while the Blue Jackets did not have their best lineup on the ice.
When the Blue Jackets did have close to their best lineup on the ice, they defeated the St. Louis Blues 7-0 on October 6th, while losing 4-3 in overtime to the Washington Capitals on October 8th. Notably, of these three games, Blue Jackets starting goalie Elvis Merzlikins only played in the loss to the Capitals but will have an effect on Blue Jackets odds throughout the 2022-23 NHL season.
Injuries will play a role in out Blue Jackets vs Hurricanes predictions. Center Gustav Nyquist and defensemen Erik Gudbranson are both listed day-to-day, while left-winger Joona Luoto and backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo are on the injured reserve list.
The Carolina Hurricanes posted a 4-1 record in the preseason. While the Hurricanes had a very representative lineup on the ice against the Blue Jackets in the preseason, that wasn’t the case in their final preseason matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. The Hurricanes lost this matchup 4-2.
The Hurricanes have an excellent gouger of defensemen, especially in their top four defensemen, and have made moves to get better on offense, bringing in Paul Stasny and Max Pacioretty to help Carolina take the next step toward another Stanley Cup appearance.
The Carolina Hurricanes will be without off-season acquisition left-winger Max Pacioretty to start the season. Pacioretty is listed on the injured reserve list, along with center Ryan Suzuki and defensemen Cavan Fitzgerald, while Jake Gardiner is on the long-term injured reserve list.
Starting Goalies
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets should have Elvis Merzlikins starting in goal for the first game of the regular season. In the 2021-22 season, Merzlikins recorded a 27-23-7 record in 59 appearances, posting a 3.22 goals against average, a .907 save percentage, and 2 shutouts.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes should be starting Frederik Andersen in the net. The Hurricanes currently have three goalies on the active roster. In the 2021-22 NHL season, Andersen posted a 35-14-3 record in 52 appearances, posting a 2.17 goals against average, a .922 save percentage, and 4 shutouts.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Carolina Hurricanes Betting Preview
We’re not a fan of betting on the totals in any sport, let alone hockey. We’re not making a pick on the total goals betting lines, even though the odds are fairly even on most online sportsbooks. We need more data to analyze before we can make any good selections on the total goal line.
We are selecting the Carolina Hurricanes to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in this game. Frankly put, the Carolina Hurricanes should be the better team, even considering both NHL teams’ major off-season moves. We’re not a fan of the Hurricanes’ current moneyline odds (-227 to -250) but aim to maximize the value from a Hurricanes win by combining a pick on the moneyline with the puck line spread.
The Carolina Hurricanes (-1.5) are the betting underdog on the puck line spread, and we like the Hurricanes to win this game by at least 2 goals. The Columbus Blue Jackets have gotten better in the offseason, but the Carolina Hurricanes should still be better and prove to be too much for the Blue Jackets.
If we are making one Blue Jackets vs Hurricanes prediction, we are picking the Carolina Hurricanes to cover the puck line spread (-1.5), with favorable underdog betting odds listed between +105 and +115.
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