Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Boston Bruins: Can the Bruins bounce back?

The Boston Bruins are hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets today at TD Garden.

Are the Blue Jackets any good this season?

The Columbus Blue Jackets are 15th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 6-9-2 record, including 1-6-2 on the road. They have lost 7 of the last 8 games and are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Blue Jackets are 16th in the league scoring 3.12 goals per game and are ranked 29th allowing 3.59. Kirill Marchenko leads the team with 16 points so far in the season.

The Bruins are still looking for their form

The Boston Bruins are eighth in the Eastern Conference with an 8-8-3 record, including 5-3-2 at home. They have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the St. Lous Blues. The Bruins are 27th in the league scoring 2.47 goals per game and are ranked three spots higher allowing 3.37. David Pastrnak leads the team with 17 points so far in the season.

Betting Trends

The Bruins are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games overall, 5-1 SU in their last 6 home games against the Blue Jackets, and 1-4 SU in their last 5 games played on Monday. Boston has played under the total goal line in 6 of their last 8 games overall, 6 of their last 7 games against Columbus, 4 of their last 5 home games, and 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games overall, 1-8 SU in their last 9 games against Boston, 0-7 SU in their last 7 games on the road, and 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when visiting Boston. Columbus has played over the total goal line in 11 of their last 16 games overall, 6 of their last 8 games against teams from the Eastern Conference, and 5 of their last 7 games against teams from the Atlantic Division.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Boston Bruins are in the middle of the standings in the East, way lower than any prediction coming into the season. It is pretty tough to understand their struggle on both ends of the ice, as they were among the top teams in the league in recent history. Hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets looks like a perfect opportunity for a change of scenario, as the Jackets have won only one game in the month of November. The Bruins have no room for any mistakes in this game and will take over the control from tip-off, so we go with the Bruins to win and total over 4.5 goals.