by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Jan 19, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Where to watch: BSOH, BSSC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Blue Jackets -145, Ducks +125
FanDuel: Blue Jackets -145, Ducks +120
BetMGM: Blue Jackets -145, Ducks +120
Caesars: Blue Jackets -154, Ducks +130
Season record
Ducks: 12-28-5
Blue Jackets: 13-29-2
We’ve hit the halfway mark in the NHL season. Yes, you read that right. We’re really hit that halfway mark that quickly. If you blinked, you probably missed a lot of good things happen in the hockey world. And with football about to be out of the way, look for our champion handicappers to get back on the rink. Oskeim Sports is on a 13-5-0 run in the NHL over the last 30 days, as is Will Rogers. Sean Murphy has also cashed in with a 16-10-0 run in the last month. Make sure you’re following our champion handicappers at bigal.com to get on this winning action!
Ducks - Blue Jackets preview, prediction and analysis
Recent results
Ducks: lost 5-2 at Flyers
Blue Jackets: lost 2-1 at Predators
The Anaheim Ducks will be playing the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, January 19 in Columbus, Ohio.
The Anaheim Ducks lost against Philadelphia Flyers last Tuesday, January 17 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a score of 5-2. The Anaheim Ducks currently rank 8th in the Pacific Division. Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano scored for the Ducks and Anthony Stolarz made 34 saves.
"I think it was just execution everywhere," Henrique said. "Certainly, [we] probably could have prevented a few of the goals with mistakes that we made, whether it be turnovers or whatever it was. That's where we didn't give ourselves an opportunity throughout the game."
The Anaheim Ducks have won three of their last 10 games. They are currently on a five-game losing streak. Adam Henrique has scored in three straight games but said it’s dampened by Anaheim losing each.
"I just try to play," Henrique said. "Just try to play the right way, play for the linemates, be in the right position and just try to work and try to lead by example. ... It's nice, but certainly [I'd] rather have the two points."
It’s quite amazing how far the Ducks have fallen in this realm of the hockey world. This was a team that, at this time last year, was in the mix for a playoff spot before selling at the deadline and choosing to go forth with building for this year. Trevor Zegras can’t do it on his own. Perhaps Connor Bedard is in their future in order to build going forward, but this is quite possibly the moment where Dallas Eakins loses his job.
The Columbus Blue Jackets lost against the Nashville Predators last Tuesday, January 17 in Nashville, Tennessee with a score of 2-1. The Columbus Blue Jackets currently rank 8th in the Metropolitan Division. Gustav Nyquist scored, and Daniil Tarasov made 26 saves in his first start since Dec. 23 for the Blue Jackets.
"We had 20-plus scoring chances; that's a good night," Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. "You [only] get one goal, you tip your cap to their goalie. They defend hard, they make you work for your ice, but I thought we did a good job of getting inside, especially in the third [period]. You'd like to see us put a few more up on the board there, but that's how it goes."
"We've got to find a way to score more goals," Nyquist said. "One goal is not going to cut it. Their goalie made some saves, but it's no excuse. We've got to bear down and score some more goals too."
The Blue Jackets have only won three of their last 10 and they are also in a position where a disappointing season is staring them in the face. The addition of Johnny Gaudreau has panned out from an individual standpoint, but the on-ice product shows they are still a ways away. It doesn’t help that Zach Werenski is out for the year and they’ve had to be behind the 8-ball with injuries, but there is reason to believe the future is bright in Columbus and I think at some point they will figure it out with Gaudreau and co.
Prediction
In a battle of bad teams, always take the home team. The cannon will surely scare the Ducks away to some extent. Blue Jackets 4, Ducks 1
Betting trends
Ducks are 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
The road team is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
Blue Jackets are 1-7 in their last 8 when the opponent allows 5 goals or more in the last game.
Projected lines
Ducks:
Adam Henrique -- Mason McTavish -- Troy Terry
Trevor Zegras -- Ryan Strome -- Frank Vatrano
Max Comtois -- Sam Carrick -- Jakob Silfverberg
Max Jones -- Jayson Megna -- Brett Leason
Cam Fowler -- Dmitry Kulikov
Simon Benoit -- John Klingberg
Urho Vaakanainen -- Kevin Shattenkirk
John Gibson
Blue Jackets:
Johnny Gaudreau -- Jack Roslovic -- Patrik Laine
Eric Robinson -- Boone Jenner -- Gustav Nyquist
Kirill Marchenko -- Kent Johnson -- Emil Bemstrom
Liam Foudy -- Sean Kuraly -- Mathieu Olivier
Vladislav Gavrikov -- Adam Boqvist
Tim Berni -- Erik Gudbranson
Nick Blankenburg -- Andrew Peeke
Elvis Merzlikins
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert hockey picks today. And if you enjoyed this Anaheim Ducks - Columbus Blue Jackets prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NHL projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
