Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche Betting Pick & Prediction 10/12/24
The Blue Jackets and Avalanche are set to face off at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The Avalanche will host the game at Ball Arena in Denver, CO. The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Avalanche as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS COLORADO AVALANCHE BETTING PICK
The Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5
This game will be played at Ball Arena at 9:00 ET on Saturday, October 12th.
WHY BET THE COLORADO AVALANCHE:
- Looking at our projections, the Avalanche are expected to take down the Blue Jackets by a score of 4-2.
- Take the Avalanche on the moneyline
- The Avalanche should also cover at -1.5
Do the Blue Jackets Have What it Takes on the Road?
Columbus dropped their season opener with a 3-2 loss to the Wild. The Blue Jackets entered the game as underdogs on the puck line and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 5 goals fell short of that mark.
After giving up the first goal, Columbus tied it up at 1-1 early in the second period. The Wild responded with two more goals, including one in the third period, before the Blue Jackets scored again to make it 3-2. With the loss, Columbus starts the season at 0-1.
Columbus registered 33 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 3-2 loss to the Wild. Kent Johnson scored his first goal of the season, while Zach Werenski added his first on a power play. Johnson also picked up an assist, giving him two points in the game.
The Blue Jackets had 15 giveaways in the game. Werenski took 7 shots on goal, while Johnson had 4. Yegor Chinakhov earned his first assist of the season on Werenski’s power-play goal.
Columbus’ defense gave up the first goal just 2:09 into the first period and another late in the first, leading to a 1-0 deficit. After tying it at 1-1, they allowed two more goals, including one at 9:58 in the 3rd period. Goalie Elvis Merzlikins had 23 saves with an 88.5% save percentage, while the defense recorded 1 takeaway and 20 hits.
Will the Avalanche Make it Happen at Home?
Colorado’s season started with an 8-4 road loss to the Golden Knights. The Avalanche were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 12 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.
At one point, Colorado led 1-0, but they allowed the next three goals. Mikko Rantanen scored three times for the Avalanche, while Casey Mittelstadt added another goal. With this loss, the Avalanche’s record is 0-1-0.
Mikko Rantanen led the Avalanche with a hat trick in their 8-4 loss to the Golden Knights. He scored on half of his six shots on goal. Casey Mittelstadt added his first goal of the season.
Nathan MacKinnon contributed two assists, while Cale Makar and Samuel Girard each picked up their second assist of the game on Rantanen’s third goal, which came at 13:01 in the third period. Colorado took 32 shots on goal but was held scoreless on the power play.
Colorado’s defense struggled against Vegas, giving up 8 goals on just 20 shots from the Golden Knights. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev made 11 saves but posted a 68.8% save percentage. The Avalanche had also tied the game at 1-1, 4-4, and 5-4, but their defense allowed the next goal each time. The final goal was an empty-netter from Vegas with 36 seconds left.