Columbus Blue Jackets vs Edmonton Oilers Betting Picks

High marks to the Blue Jackets for their gutty, 2-1, shootout road victory against the Kraken two days ago. Not only was that the end of a five-game, 10-day road trip that covered approximately 6,500 miles round-trip, but Columbus was also dealing with an illness affecting its locker room. Now the Blue Jackets have to refocus after not being home since the first of this month. They are also likely to be without their captain and fourth-leading point scorer, Boone Jenner. He suffered an upper-body injury against Seattle and is doubtful to play. The Oilers hosted the Blue Jackets this past Monday and won, 5-4, in overtime. The Oilers are starting to come on after their typical slow start, in which they won just six of their first 16 games. Since then, Edmonton has put together a two-game winning streak led by its two superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid’s 18 assists are tied for the NHL lead, and Draisaitl is first on the team in goals with 10. Edmonton was bullied around last night in Philly, and shouldn't be too happy about it. They were lucky to win after a would-be game-winning goal from the Flyers was wiped off the board with 23 seconds to play in the third. Take the Oilers for a strong effort tonight. 

The underachieving Oilers are the least profitable team in the NHL this season. They have already lost five times as favorites with odds of minus $1.50 or higher. There is value in going against them. Both teams have lost three in a row and are in desperate need of a win. The Blue Jackets, however, had won four straight games before their losing streak, with two of their defeats during their current skid coming by a single goal. Columbus is a .500 team that has been hot and cold. The Blue Jackets are more reliable than the disappointing Oilers, who are 6-10 and suffered a horrific 9-1 home loss to the Avalanche this past Saturday. It doesn't matter that the Oilers have superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl because their goaltending is so bad. Stuart Skinner is 4-4-3 with a 2.81 GAA and .889 save percentage, while Calvin Pickard is 2-2-1 with a 4.00 GAA and .836 save percentage. Edmonton ranks 27th defensively and just 20th in goals per game. Columbus is outscoring Edmonton this season. The Blue Jackets also take the second-most shots on goal. That's an edge going against weak goaltending. Take the Blue Jackets.

Edmonton has won five in a row by a 17-7 count. The offense is fourth in goals scored (3.53 per game) and 10th in shooting percentage, while the defense is 10th in goals allowed (2.88 per game) and 13th in save percentage (.904). Edmonton is on a 33-9 run and is 18-2 after allowing 2 or fewer goals in two straight contests. Last place Columbus has a losing home mark and is getting outscored by 41 goals, the fifth-worst differential in the league. The offense is 21st in goals scored (2.98 per game) and the defense allows the second-most goals (3.66 per game) in the NHL, plus they're 25th in save percentage. Columbus lost 4-1 to Edmonton when they last met, and is 3-16 revenging a same-season loss. Play Edmonton.