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New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets: Both teams are struggling so far in the season

The Columbus Blue Jackets are hosting the New York Islanders today at Nationwide Arena.

The Islanders are starting a three-game road trip

The New York Islanders are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-4-2 record, including 2-1-1 on the road. The Islanders are coming off back-to-back losses to the Florida Panthers and the Anaheim Ducks. New York is ranked 29th in the league scoring 2.50 goals per game and ninth allowing 3 goals per game. Kyle Palmieri leads the team with 7 points so far in the season.

Are the Blue Jackets for real this season?

The Columbus Blue Jackets are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 4-3-1 record, including 3-2-0 at home. They are coming off a 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers and scored exactly six goals in each of their wins this season. The Blue Jackets are fourth in the league scoring 4.13 goals per game and are ranked 15th allowing 3.13. Kirill Marchenko leads the team with 11 points so far in the season.

Betting Trends

The Blue Jackets are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against the Islanders and 5-12 SU in their last 17 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Columbus has played over the total goal line in 6 of their last 7 games overall, 4 of their last 5 games at home and 5 of their last 6 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Islanders are 4-10 SU in their last 14 games overall, 9-1 SU in their last 10 games against the Blue Jackets, 2-5 SU in their last 7 games on the road and 4-1 SU in their last 5 visits to Columbus. New York has played over the total goal line in 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 6 of their last 8 games played on Wednesday.

Prediction and Conclusion

Both teams are in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings, but the Blue Jackets are actually showing signs of improvement. They are still recovering from the loss of Johnny Gaudreau and are playing their best hockey in recent years. The Blue Jackets will host the Islanders tonight, who are starting a three-game road trip after losing the last two at home. New York has been dominant in recent history against the Blue Jackets, but things may change tonight. This game easily goes either way, but what is certain is that there will be many scoring opportunities on both sides, so we go with over 6.5 goals in total.