The Colorado Avalanche (46-27-4) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (34-30-9) on Thursday, April 3rd. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus and televised on ESPN+. Both the Avalanche and Blue Jackets will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 ET.

Avalanche vs Blue Jackets

The Colorado Avalanche Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 5-2 loss to the Predators, the Avalanche’s record now stands at 46-27-4. Colorado was the underdog on the puck line, and the total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, with the combined score of 7 surpassing that mark.

The Avalanche took the lead first, scoring at 17:06 in the second period, but the Predators responded with five unanswered goals. Colorado’s defense struggled, allowing two empty-net goals in the third period.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Columbus fell to 34-30-9 after a 7-2 loss to the Capitals. The Blue Jackets’ defense struggled from the start, giving up five goals in the first period.

As underdogs on the puck line, the Blue Jackets failed to cover. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 9 goals easily surpassed that mark.

Colorado Offense Breakdown

Cale Makar netted his fifth goal of the season on a power play, while Nathan MacKinnon followed with his sixth goal in the third period. MacKinnon also added his 14th assist on Makar’s goal. Makar now has 16 assists this season.

Despite 30 shots on goal, the Avalanche only managed two goals in their 5-2 loss to Nashville. They had 23 giveaways in the game.

Blue Jackets Offense Breakdown

Columbus fired 36 shots on goal but only managed to score twice in their 7-2 loss to Washington. Damon Severson netted his 4th goal of the season, while Kevin Labanc added his 2nd. The Blue Jackets were held scoreless in the 1st period before Severson got them on the board 49 seconds into the 2nd period.

Columbus recorded 13 giveaways and failed to convert on any of their power play opportunities. Sean Monahan picked up his 5th assist of the season, and Zach Aston-Reese added his 2nd.

Colorado Team Defense

Defensively, the Avalanche took a 1-0 lead at 17:06 in the 2nd period, but their defense gave up the next three goals, including two in the 2nd period and one at 14:45 in the 3rd. They also allowed two empty-net goals late in the 3rd. Goalie Justus Annunen made 21 saves with an 87.5% save percentage. The Avalanche’s defense had 11 takeaways and 26 hits.

Columbus Team Defense

Columbus’ defense struggled early, conceding five goals in the first period. After cutting the deficit to 6-2 in the second, they gave up another late goal at 1:26 in the 3rd. Goalie Daniil Tarasov made 15 saves with a 68.2% save percentage, while the Blue Jackets’ defense recorded 10 takeaways and 17 hits.

Avalanche vs Blue Jackets Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Avalanche have a straight up record of 4-1 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.
• The Blue Jackets are 2-1 puck line in their last three home games and 2-1 straight-up.
• As the betting underdog, the Blue Jackets have an puck line mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Columbus posted a straight up mark of 2-8 in these matchups.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Avalanche have a straight up record of 7-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 4-6.

Avalanche vs Blue Jackets Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Blue Jackets to secure a victory over the Avalanche at home. With the moneyline currently set at +125, I’m locking in my bet on the Blue Jackets straight-up.

Our projections have the Blue Jackets pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Blue Jackets, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6.5 goals, we believe that this game will remain below that figure, and we recommend wagering on the under.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.