Chicago Blackhawks at Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Pick

The Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets are back at it on Monday night after the visitors picked up a 4-3 win on Saturday evening. Columbus is looking to turn its season around, while Chicago is hoping to stay in the playoff race with another win.

Chicago is currently in fifth place in the Central Division, but just two points out of the final playoff spot. The Blackhawks have actually been much better than expected this season and are trying to pay it off with an appearance in the postseason.

Columbus has now lost five of its last six games, and it appears that the playoffs will be out of reach for this team. The Blue Jackets have managed to pick up just 38 points on the year, which is good enough for 7th place in the Division.

The Chicago Blackhawks are -127 in this matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Goaltending Key For Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks can score goals with the best teams in the NHL, especially when Patrick Kane is on the ice. Kane leads this team with 38 assists and 52 total points and continues to cement his place as one of the top American-born players in league history.

Chicago has also been terrific on the power play this season, converting on nearly 25 percent of their chances with the man advantage. The Blackhawks play a fast-paced style of hockey, and that creates plenty of scoring opportunities.

It all comes down to goaltending for the Blackhawks as this team is allowing more than 3 goals per game. Kevin Lankinen has been better than league average, but Chicago has to find a way to defend better on that end of the ice. 

No Offense For Columbus

The Blue Jackets are scoring just 2.5 goals per game this season, and that just isn’t a good enough attack to win many games. Columbus just traded away captain Nick Foligno to the Montreal Canadiens, and that’s going to hurt its offensive production even more.

Oliver Bjorkstrand has been a capable scoring threat this season, leading the team with 14 goals and 32 total points. The Blue Jackets have converted just 14 percent of their power-play chances, another sign of a bad offense. 

Columbus is solid on the defensive end of the ice, but it takes some goal-scoring to beat the Blackhawks. 

Blackhawks Beat Blue Jackets Again

Chicago is still giving up too many goals per game, but that won’t be a major issue against Columbus. The Blue Jackets just continue to struggle to put pucks in the back of the net, especially when playing 5-on-5 hockey.

Look for Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks to get at least four goals on Monday night, and that will be enough to hold off a late charge from the home team. Columbus will keep this game interesting, but they just don’t have enough firepower to pick up a win.

Bet the Chicago Blackhawks -127 over the Columbus Blue Jackets in this Central Division matchup. 

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