Nationwide Arena is playing host to an intriguing tilt as the Columbus Blue Jackets prepare to face the visiting Florida Panthers. The game will get going at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 15, and fans at home can catch this Eastern Conference matchup live on Fox SportsNet Florida.
Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets Odds
Playing the role of favorite will be Columbus (-130), while Florida is an underdog showing moneyline odds of +110, and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-120 for the over, +100 for the under).
Even though their record stands at 10-8 straight up (SU), bettors taking the moneyline have accumulated 1.9 units by wagering on the Blue Jackets this season. 10 of its 18 games have gone under the total, while eight have gone over and none have pushed. The team is 4-5 SU at home thus far.
Columbus has converted on just 16.4 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s ranked 23rd overall in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 21st overall, and it’s successfully killed off 78.3 percent of all penalties.
Columbus, as a collective unit, has been penalized 3.8 times per game overall this season, 4.2 per game over its past five games total, and 3.4 per game over its last five home outings. The team has been forced to kill penalties for just 7.4 minutes per contest over its last five home games.
Averaging 27.8 saves per game with a .913 save percentage, Sergei Bobrovsky (6-6) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Blue Jackets this year. If head coach John Tortorella decides to rest him, however, the Jackets may roll with Joonas Korpisalo (4-3-3 record, .875 save percentage, 3.78 goals against average).
Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson will each lead the way for the Blue Jackets. Panarin (18 points) has tallied five goals and 13 assists and has recorded two or more points in five different games this year. Atkinson has eight goals and six assists to his name and has notched a point in eight contests.
Florida has lost 3.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year and is currently 7-8 straight up (SU). Through 15 regular season matches, eight of its games have gone under the total, while five have gone over and just two have pushed. As the visiting team, Florida is 4-4 SU so far.
Florida has converted on 21.5 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 25th overall and it’s successfully killed off 74.5 percent of all penalties.
Florida’s players have been whistled for penalties 4.3 times per game this season. Last season, that number was at 4.1, which was the sixth-highest mark in the league. After serving an average of 11.0 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has had to stave off opponent power plays for 10.2 minutes per matchup this year.
James Reimer (.899 save percentage and 3.04 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Florida. Reimer is averaging 21.8 saves per game and owns a 3-6-1 record.
Evgenii Dadonov (eight goals, nine assists) and Mike Hoffman (seven goals, eight assists) have been the top playmakers for Florida and will pace the offensive counter for the visiting Panthers.
Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Predictions
Free Pick: SU Winner – Blue Jackets, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Trends
The total has gone under in four of Columbus’ last five outings.
After averaging 34.4 shots per game as a team last season (the most in the league), Florida has attempted 34.5 shots per game overall this season, and 35.1 in its last 10 games.
The Blue Jackets are 4-1 SU in games where they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Panthers are 1-2 SU when they spend more time in the box than the opposition.
Columbus skaters have averaged 6.2 takeaways per game (ranked 26th in the league).
Florida has allowed 3.1 goals per game overall this year, but is allowing just 1.4 per contest over their five-game winning streak.
Columbus might hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 5-2 in games decided by one goal, while Florida is 3-6 in such games.
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