wild vs blue jackets nhl prediction betting
PublishedJanuary 6, 2024,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:January 6, 2024 , ,

NHL: Wild vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction 1/6/2024

The Minnesota Wild (16-17-4) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (13-19-8) on Saturday, January 6th. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. The Blue Jackets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Wild are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Lightning. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Minnesota Wild vs Columbus Blue JacketsColumbus Blue Jacket

The Minnesota Wild Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

For the season, the Wild currently hold an overall record of 16-17-4. On the road, Minnesota has gone 6-10-2 and they are 10-7-2 at home. At the moment, they hold the 7th spot in the Western Central division and are ranked 13th in the Western conference. Minnesota’s average scoring margin this season is -0.2 leading to an overall puck line record of 20-17. Their scoring margin at home is -0.1 and -0.3 on the road.

The Wild are looking to bounce back from a 4-1 loss at home to the Lightning. In the first and second periods, the Wild didn’t score a goal, but they managed to break the drought with one goal in the third period. For the game, Minnesota’s only goal came at even strength. Overall, they had 23 shots on goal vs. Tampa Bay.

As the underdog, Minnesota suffered both a straight-up and loss vs. the puck line. The over/under line for the game was 6, and it concluded with a combined total of 5 goals.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Are Coming Off A Win

Currently, the Blue Jackets hold an overall record of 13-19-8 for the season. On the road, Columbus has a 5-8-5 record, while they are 8-11-3 at their home venue. This record has them sitting 8th in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 15th in the Eastern conference. Columbus’ average scoring margin this season is -0.6 leading to an overall puck line record of 25-15. Their scoring margin at home is -0.5 and -0.6 on the road.

The Blue Jackets most recently took on the Flyers and secured a win with a score of 3-2. In the first and second periods, the Blue Jackets couldn’t find the net on offense, but they managed to score two goals in the third period. All three goals came at even strength. They finished with 28 shots on goal and had 10 turnovers.

Entering the game as the underdog, Columbus came away with a victory against the puck line. Combining for 5 goals, the game finished below the over/under line of 6.

Minnesota Offense Breakdown

In terms of their offensive performance, the Wild are averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, putting them in the 25th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 25th in the league. This season, the Wild are 10-6 when getting more shots on goal than their opponents. And in games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 6-11 record.

This season, the over/under record for the Wild’s is 17-17-3. Over the course of the season, they have had 18 games that exceeded the over/under line of 6. On average, their games are averaging 6.3 goals per game.

Columbus Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Blue Jackets are scoring an 3.1 goals per game this season, ranking 13th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 16th in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Blue Jackets offense is 28th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 32nd in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets’ over/under record this season is 21-18-1. For the season, they have had 22 games that surpassed this game’s over/under line of 6. Overall, their games are averaging6.7 goals per game.

Minnesota Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Wild head into the game ranked 22nd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.2 shots per game against Minnesota. So far, they are 19th in shutouts, achieving 2 shutouts.

Columbus Team DefenseMinnesota Wild

Entering the game, the Blue Jackets’ defense ranks 21st in takeaways, averaging 5.9 takeaways per contest. In the NHL, they currently stand at 1st in terms of goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.4 goals per game.

Wild vs Blue Jackets Trends

  • When looking at their past five road matchups, Minnesota has an puck line record of 4-1 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
  • In their last three home games, Columbus has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 3. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 3-0.
  • Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Blue Jackets have gone 7-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.
  • Over the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Wild struggled vs the puck line going just 2-3. However, they still had a straight up mark of 5-0.

Wild vs Blue Jackets Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Wild to secure a victory over the Blue Jackets on the road. With the moneyline currently set at -132, I’m locking in my bet on the Wild straight-up.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Blue Jackets to cover. Even if the Wild win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Blue Jackets should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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.