Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Vegas Golden Knights: Is Vegas in trouble?
The Columbus Blue Jackets are visiting the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
Columbus is the worst team in the East
The Columbus Blue Jackets are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 23-34 record. They have lost five of the last six games and are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. The Blue Jackets are 24th in the league, scoring 2.9 goals per game, and are ranked second to last, allowing 3.59. Johnny Gaudreau is the best player on the team, with 51 points for the season.
The Vegas playoff berth is in jeopardy
The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, are eighth in the Western Conference with a 37-25-7 record. They have won four of the last six games and are coming off a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Golden Knights are 14th in the league, scoring 3.16 goals per game, and are ranked three spots higher, allowing 2.96. Jonathan Marchessault is the best player on the team, with 60 points so far in the season.
Betting Trends
Vegas is 4-2 SU in the last 6 games overall and 3-6 SU in the last 9 home games. They are also 6-3 SU in the last 9 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division. Columbus is 1-6 SU in the last 7 games overall, 1-7 SU in the last 8 games on the road and 5-1 SU in the last 6 games against teams from the Pacific Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Vegas Golden Knights have never missed the playoffs since they joined the league and will have to pick up their game in order to keep that run alive. The defending champions have had many ups and downs this season, but with 13 games left in the season, they still have control of the situation. The Golden Knights are three points up in the top half of the conference and will have to add a couple more tonight against Columbus. The Blue Jackets are at the bottom of the East and are going nowhere anytime soon. There is no way the Golden Knights will miss this opportunity and will win by covering the -1.5 puck line.
