The Columbus Blue Jackets (9-16-5) travel to face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs (15-7-5) on Thursday, December 14th. This game will be played at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Maple Leafs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jackets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Panthers. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Currently, the Blue Jackets hold an overall record of 9-16-5 for the season. On the road, Columbus has a 2-8-3 record, while they are 7-8-2 at their home venue. They are currently positioned 8th in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 15th in the Eastern conference. Looking at Columbus’ average scoring margin, it is -0.6, which has led to a puck line record of 18-12. When playing at home, their scoring margin is -0.2, and on the road, it is -1.2.

The Blue Jackets aim to bounce back following their 5-2 loss at home to the Panthers. The Blue Jackets managed to find the net one time in the 3rd period against the Panthers, following their one goal in the first period. In the game, Columbus managed to score all two goals at even strength. They concluded with 19 shots on goal and committed 6 turnovers.

Coming in as the underdog, Columbus not only lost straight-up but also failed to cover the puck line. With a combined total of 7 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 6.5 goals set for the game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Coming Off A Win

So far this season, the Maple Leafs have an overall record of 15-7-5. On the road, Toronto is 7-2-4 and 8-4-1 at home. At the moment, they hold the 3rd spot in the Eastern Atlantic division and are ranked 4th in the Eastern conference. Toronto’s average scoring difference this season sits at +.4, which has contributed to their overall puck line record of 7-19. When playing at home, they have a scoring margin of +.2, and on the road, it is +.5.

Facing the Rangers in their last game, the Maple Leafs won by a score of 7-3. The Maple Leafs managed to find the net three times in the 3rd period against the Rangers, following their four goals in the first period. Of Toronto’s seven goals, one came while in power play. They ended the game with 30 shots on goal and had seven giveaways.

Entering the game as the underdog, Toronto came away with a victory against the puck line. With a combined total of 10 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 6.5 goals set for the game.

Columbus Offense Breakdown

The Blue Jackets come into the game scoring an average of 2.9 goals per game, putting them 18th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 11th in the league. Looking at how the Blue Jackets’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 26th in power play goals and 32nd in shorthanded goals.

The Blue Jackets come in with an over/under record of 17-13-0. Over the season, there have been 17 games that have surpassed the 6.5 over/under line. Their games, on average, are at 6.4 goals per game.

Toronto Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Maple Leafs are scoring an 3.5 goals per game this season, ranking 12th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 22nd in the league. The Maple Leafs went 6-3 in games where they had more shots than their opponents. However, in games with fewer shots on goal, their record was 8-3.

The Maple Leafs’ over/under record this season is 14-11-1. For the season, they have had 15 games that surpassed this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games are averaging6.8 goals per game.

Columbus Team Defense

The Blue Jackets’ defense comes into the game with a ranking of 17th in takeaways and an average of 6.2 takeaways per contest. They hold 2nd place in the NHL for goals allowed, with an average of 3.2 goals given up per game.

Toronto Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Maple Leafs head into the game ranked 21st in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 32 shots per game against Toronto. So far, they are 21st in shutouts, achieving 1 shutouts.

Blue Jackets vs Maple Leafs Trends

• In their last three games away from home, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 2 goals per game in these contests.
• Through their last ten home games, Toronto has an puck line record of just 2-8. However, their overall record was 5-5 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• As the betting underdog, the Maple Leafs have an puck line mark of just 9-1 in their last ten games. Toronto posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 3-7. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 3-7.

Blue Jackets vs Maple Leafs Prediction

If you’re interested in a pure moneyline wager, then the Maple Leafs is the preferred option. However, with a payout of -273, it might be worth considering this bet as a component of a larger parlay.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Blue Jackets to cover. Even in the event of a Maple Leafs victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Blue Jackets should cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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

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* 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.