The Minnesota Wild (2-0-2) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (2-2-0) on Saturday, October 19th. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.
Wild vs Blue Jackets
The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win
With a 4-1 win over the Blues, the Wild improved to 2-0-2 this season. Minnesota covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 5 goals fell short of the pre-game line of 6.
All four of the Wild’s goals came from different players, with Ryan Hartman starting the scoring at 16:10 in the first period. The Blues didn’t get on the board until 9:50 in the third period.
The Columbus Blue Jackets Are Coming Off A Win
Columbus evened their record at 2-2-0 with a 6-4 win over the Sabres. The Blue Jackets covered the puck line as underdogs, and the total of 10 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.
All six of Columbus’ goals came from different players, with Yegor Chinakhov opening the scoring at 5:12 in the first period. The Blue Jackets held a 2-0 lead after the first, but the Sabres cut it to 4-3 before Columbus pulled away in the third.
Minnesota Offense Breakdown
Minnesota’s offense fired 26 shots on goal in their 4-1 win over the Blues, with four different players finding the net. Ryan Hartman opened the scoring with his second goal of the season on a power play, while Jakub Lauko added his second goal, this time shorthanded.
Marco Rossi scored his first goal of the season, and Filip Gustavsson capped off the scoring with an empty-netter, also on a power play. Gustavsson’s goal came with just 9 seconds left in the game. Kirill Kaprizov picked up two assists, bringing his season total to five.
Blue Jackets Offense Breakdown
Columbus netted 6 goals on 25 shots in their 6-4 victory over Buffalo. The Blue Jackets had 14 giveaways but still managed to score twice in each period.
Yegor Chinakhov opened the scoring with his second goal of the season, while Kirill Marchenko added his third. Zach Aston-Reese also found the net for the second time this year, and Damon Severson scored his first goal of the season.
Minnesota Team Defense
Defensively, the Wild will look to build on a strong performance, where they allowed just one goal to the Blues. Filip Gustavsson recorded 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage, and the defense contributed 5 takeaways and 24 hits. The only goal they allowed came 10:10 into the 3rd period.
Columbus Team Defense
Columbus’ defense gave up the first goal at 9:34 in the 2nd period, and they allowed two more, one with 0:25 left in the 2nd and another at 2:09 in the 3rd. Goalie Daniil Tarasov made 20 saves with a save percentage of 83.3%. The Blue Jackets’ defense also recorded 7 takeaways and 16 hits.
Wild vs Blue Jackets Trends
- When looking at their past three road matchups, Minnesota has an puck line record of 3-0 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
- Although Columbus has a straight up record of 6-4 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 8-2. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
- As the betting underdog, the Blue Jackets have an puck line record of 5-0 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-2.
- The last ten games that Minnesota was favored, they have an puck line mark of 5-5 while going 7-3 straight up.
Wild vs Blue Jackets Prediction
If you’re looking for a moneyline pick, my choice is the Blue Jackets to take down the Wild at home. With the moneyline currently at +150, I’m placing 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.
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.
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.
Last updated:October 19, 2024 Blue Jackets, Wild