Overview
The Florida Panthers (31-9-5) are heading to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets (20-21-1). Panthers are looking to continue their excellent play and extend their win streak to four, while Columbus looks to extend their own streak to three.
Last Games Records
The Florida Panthers are coming off of yet another comeback win, this time against the San Jose Sharks. Jonathan Huberdeau had yet another multi-point night with a goal and two assists, while Gustav Forsling and Mason Marchment both had a goal and an assist apiece. The Panthers had eight different players with points against the Sharks, accentuating the team’s offensive depth.
Columbus is coming off of a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens, led by Patrik Laine and his two goals. Columbus had nine total players find the scoresheet in the blowout win, with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopping 32 of 35 shots in net.
Matchup Information
- The puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM EST
- On January 31st
- At Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Panthers at Blue Jackets Betting Analysis
Panthers Betting Analysis
The Panthers are continuing their bid for the best team in the NHL as they continue their winning ways. Florida is 8-2-0 in their last 10, finding themselves in a constant battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top seed in the division.
It seems like they’re starting to gain some ground, now three points ahead of their in-state rival. The team knows they have to keep winning to stay ahead of the standings and will definitely be going into this one, knowing they’re the better team.
Jonathan Huberdeau is playing on another planet right now with a whopping 62 points in 45 games. The winger is easily playing the best hockey of his career right now, providing insane playmaking skills to complement the various goal-scoring threats on the team.
The team has five different players with 15 goals or more, led by Sam Bennett with 21. Team captain Aleksander Barkov is also playing at an explosive pace with 37 points in 32 games.
Sergei Bobrovsky continues to get the job done in net with a record of 22-4-3 and an SV% of .921.
Blue Jackets Betting Analysis
It’s been a bit of a struggle for Columbus this year. Though this was ultimately expected, the team seemed to be having a pretty good start to the year early in the season, making their recent play a bit more disappointing.
The team is 5-5-0 in their last 10, with some inconsistencies in pretty much every aspect of the game, making predictions difficult. Some nights, the team looks like an unstoppable, offensive juggernaut – other nights, the team may struggle for any sort of offensive possession time.
Boone Jenner leads the team in scoring with 18 goals and 12 assists, followed by Oliver Bjoirkstrasnd with 28 points and Jakub Voracek with 27. Zach Werenski leads in defensive scoring with 27 points in 40 games.
The same is true for the other end of the ice, as defense and goaltending has also been inconsistent. Elvis Merzlikins has been the go-to starter this year with a record of 14-11-1, with an SV% of .911.
Team Updates
It looks like the Panthers are rolling with most of the key players fully healthy and back in the lineup. Only Noel Acciari and Markus Nutivaara remain on the injured reserve.
The Blue Jackets are without Justin Danforth and Alexandre Texier tonight, meaning Columbus will be missing out on a key middle six piece. Texier is sixth on the team in scoring this season with 20 points – with a team that can struggle offensively like the Jackets; his absence will be noticeable on the ice.
- The Panthers are 5-0 ATS against the Jackets in their last five meetings
- Florida is 5-1 ATS as favorites in their last six
- Columbus is 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games
- Columbus is 1-4 ATS in their last five games
- Florida is 6-2 ATS against bottom ten defenses in their last eight games
Panthers at Blue Jackets Betting Preview
It isn’t hard to come to a conclusion when looking at the stats above. The Blue Jackets have had some serious struggles this season, particularly against Florida. It’s a total mismatch as one of the league’s strongest offensive teams takes on one of the more troubled defensive units- what’s more, the Panthers also have some solid goaltending.
The Jackets simply don’t have the firepower to contend with the Panthers, and we will likely see a Florida team dominate offensive position for the majority of the game tonight.
Panthers vs Blue Jackets Betting Prediction:
The only way the Blue Jackets can hope to escape with the win tonight is from an absolutely phenomenal night from Merzlikins. Florida has been a bit careless in their own zone and has had to scrounge out a few gutsy comeback wins as of late – if Columbus can find a solid night in net, they might have a shot here.
What’s more likely, however, is that the Panthers will solve the Columbus defense and run up the score. With so many offensive weapons like Huberdeau, Barkov, Reinhart, Duclair, Bennet, Lundell, Marchment, and Ekblad, the Blue Jackets will likely be too preoccupied in their own zone to find a way to keep up in scoring.
How to Bet on Panthers at Blue Jackets
The moneyline is at a laughable -255 for the Panthers and likely won’t be worth putting a bet down. However, the Panthers puck line (spread) is currently at -1.5 at +105 – there’s a very high probability that Florida will take this game by a score of two or more.
This is one bet that’s definitely worth placing – not to mention having extra incentive to watch one of the most exciting teams in the league this year!
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