Senators vs. Blue Jackets Odds
| Senators Odds | -166 |
| Blue Jackets Odds | +138 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -134 / +115 |
It's a battle for the bottom as part of the NHL's two-game Friday slate. The Ottawa Senators are traveling south to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets with both teams looking to rebound from disappointing losses.
Joonas Korpisalo's return to his old stomping grounds makes for a tasty storyline, and the Senators will be getting a helping hand on the back end. The betting value is on the home side, so let's get to my prediction for Senators vs. Blue Jackets.
Ottawa Senators
Friday's game will be Ottawa's first since its penalty-filled 5-0 loss to the Florida Panthers last Monday. That game may have marked a low point in the season for the Senators, who had climbed above .500 for the first time during their trip to Sweden.
The Senators have given up five goals in each of their past two games — both losses — and the offense is not keeping pace. Special teams have been an issue as the usually reliable power play has connected just once on 13 tries over the past three games. Also, the penalty kill gave up three goals to the Panthers on Monday. At 5-on-5, the news isn't much better as Ottawa has sunk to 29th place in expected goals share (45.52%).
Expect to see a motivated Korpisalo in net as he faces his former team for the first time since last year's trade-deadline move to Los Angeles.
One other bit of positive news is than defenseman Thomas Chabot has been activated off long-term injured reserve. The Senators' big-minute defenseman should be back in the lineup on Friday for the first time since Oct. 26, when he suffered a fractured hand.
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Columbus Blue Jackets
With wins in three of their past five games, including an impressive 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins last Monday, the Blue Jackets mustered enough momentum to move out of the Eastern Conference basement and pass the Senators in the standings. However, Columbus has already played seven more games than Ottawa, so the Senators have the superior points percentage.
The Blue Jackets are coming off a 4-2 loss to Montreal on Wednesday, a game that was even until Joel Armia scored the game winner with less than three minutes to play in regulation.
In net, Elvis Merzlikins has started eight of the Blue Jackets' past 10 games, and has boosted his save percentage to a solid .907. But Columbus is porous defensively, allowing an average of 33.5 shots per game.
At 5-on-5, the Blue Jackets' expected goals share is only a little better than Ottawa's, at 46.46%. And while their power play is a disappointing 11%, their impressive penalty kill is second-best in the league, behind only Los Angeles. In fact, it hasn't given up a goal in the past five games.
On the injury front, Damon Severson has been placed on injured reserve with an oblique issue after missing the past five games. Cole Sillinger and Jack Roslovic are also sidelined. After putting up 15 points in 10 games with the AHL Cleveland Monsters, 21-year-old forward Kent Johnson was recalled Thursday.
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Senators vs. Blue Jackets
Betting Pick & Prediction
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Both teams have been struggling, but the betting markets clearly favor Ottawa in this matchup. The Senators opened at -135 on the moneyline, giving them 57% implied odds of winning. The line has since moved further in their favor and is -148 as of Thursday evening.
Chabot's return is a positive, but not to the point where the Senators should be such big favorites in a matchup of two shaky squads. In recent days, the Blue Jackets have showed more promise and some solid goaltending, and their home-ice record of 5-7-1 isn't too bad.
At plus money, look for the home side to spoil Korpisalo's return.
Pick: Blue Jackets Moneyline (+125 at Bet365 | Play to +105)
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