Los Angeles Kings vs Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Pick & Prediction 12/5/23

Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Kings and Blue Jackets. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on BSOH, and it’s hosted by the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. Get ready to place your bets! The Kings are the favored team in this non-conference contest against the Blue Jackets. The game’s over/under currently sits at 6.5 goals.

LOS ANGELES KINGS VS COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5

This game will be played at Nationwide Arena at 7:00 ET on Tuesday, December 5th.

WHY BET THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS:

  • Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Blue Jackets winning this game by a score of 4-3.
  • We like the Blue Jackets on the moneyline (+176)
  • The Blue Jackets are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Will the Kings Make it Happen on the Road?

For the season, the Kings currently hold an overall record of 14-4-3. On the road, Los Angeles has gone 9-0-0 and they are 5-4-3 at home. At the moment, they hold the 3rd spot in the Western Pacific division and are ranked 4th in the Western conference.

Los Angeles is 14-7 against the puck line this season. On the road, their puck line record sits at 8-1 compared to 6-6 at home. This season, Los Angeles’ games are averaging 6.2 goals per game. Their average over/under line is 6.3. The Kings currently have an over/under record of 9-12-0.

Los Angeles has played well in their previous three road games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 1. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 3-0.

On the offensive side, the Kings are scoring an 3.9 goals per game this season, ranking 6th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 24th in the league. So far this year, the Kings are 8-3 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 5-0 in games with fewer shots on goal.

The leading scorer for Los Angeles’ offense is Trevor Moore. Coming into the game he has 12 goals, ranking 21st in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 8 assists so far.

Entering the game, the Blue Jackets’ defense ranks 11th in takeaways, averaging 6.5 takeaways per contest. In the NHL, they currently stand at 2nd in terms of goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.1 goals per game.

Entering the game, goalie Cam Talbot has started 15 games this season. His current record stands at 11-4, and his save percentage is 93%.

Does Columbus Have What it Takes at Home?

This season, the Blue Jackets have put together an overall record of 8-14-4. When playing on the road, Columbus has gone 2-7-3, while their home record stands at 6-7-1. At the moment, they hold the 8th spot in the Eastern Metropolitan division and are ranked 15th in the Eastern conference.

Against the puck line, Columbus is 16-10. Their road puck line record so far is 9-3 while sitting 7-7 at home against the puckline. Games involving Columbus have an average of 6.2 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.4. In terms of their over/under performance, the Blue Jackets come in with a record of 13-13-0.

In their last three home games, Columbus has averaged 1 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.

The Blue Jackets come into the game scoring an average of 2.8 goals per game, putting them 15th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 8th in the league. The Columbus offense is ranked 28th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 31st in the NHL.

Columbus will be looking for a good game from Boone Jenner who leads the team in scoring with 13 goals, ranking 12th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Jenner has 5 assists this season.

Coming into the game, the Blue Jackets’ defense is 11th in takeaways at 6.5 takeaways per contest. Overall, they are giving up 3.1 goals per game which is 2nd in the NHL.

Goalie Elvis Merzlikins gets the start and has made 18 starts this season. His record at this point is 6-8, and his save percentage is 91.1%.