by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Dec 02, 2022
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Canadian Life Centre, Winnipeg, MB
Where to watch: TSN3, BSOH
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Jets -245, Blue Jackets +205
FanDuel: Jets -235, Blue Jackets +190
BetMGM: Jets -238, Blue Jackets +190
Caesars: Jets -240, Blue Jackets +196
Season record
Blue Jackets: 7-12-2
Jets: 14-6-1
Two months into the NHL season, and man, what action we’ve had. So much parity, so many good teams through the first 10-plus games, you have every right to be excited! It’s still a three-team race between Vegas, Boston and New Jersey. But this is a good time to be playing these hockey games, as well. Look no further than our own Doc's Sports on a 14-7-0 run over the first 30 days of the NHL season. There's also ASA, Inc. posting a 12-5-1 mark through the first month. You know you can trust our champion handicappers to get you across the finish line with your NHL bets. Check out our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what we're throwing down!
Blue Jackets - Jets preview, prediction and analysis
Recent results
Blue Jackets: lost 3 straight, lost 3-2 (SO) vs. Golden Knights
Jets: won 3 straight; won 5-0 vs. Avalanche on Tuesday
Blue Jackets analysis
I think we need to commend the Columbus Blue Jackets for being as competitive as they have been this year despite all the injuries that they have accumulated. I mean, right now with a laundry list of injuries that nobody would love to have happened to them. But in the very least, Columbus has been able to stay rather competitive, even though the record might not reflected, but one thing we can be sure of is that Johnny Gaudreau is absolutely one hundred percent worth the contract that he was given.
Gaudreau had a lot of questions coming out of Calgary, whether he could be the type of player that he was in Calgary. So far, at over a point per game, he is absolutely doing just that. Gaudreau is the only player on Columbus that is averaging at least a point per game. One could say that wouldn’t be the case if Patrik Laine was healthy, but I digress.
Nevertheless, Columbus hasn’t the greatest season due to these injuries. Top defenseman Zach Werenski is out for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury, and Elvis Merzlikins was out for a while. But with Merzlikins and Laine both activated of injured reserve on Thursday, it might be the cushion that Columbus is looking for.
The Blue Jackets are coming off a 3-2 loss in a shootout to the Vegas Golden Knights, where Gaudreau had two points but it just wasn’t enough to overcome the firepower in Vegas.
"We've been playing some good hockey, it's just we want to get the results," Columbus captain Boone Jenner said. "We want to get the wins and feeling good that way. So, we've just got to keep going and build on the good things that we are doing."
Hopefully with some key names coming back, it might help.
Jets analysis
The Winnipeg Jets remain one of my top-3 surprises in the NHL this season. They’re not that far off from the Dallas Stars in the Central Division and have gotten great play all around, including from Connor Hellebuyck.
The former Vezina Trophy winner – who might be a bonafide favorite this year – had a 40-save shutout against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, which is just insane. I know Hellebuyck is good and all, but these are the defending Stanley Cup champions we’re talking about. There’s no way that it should be this easy for him to post a shutout like this.
Blake Wheeler also had a hat trick for the 14-6-1 Jets, who are thriving right now under new coach Rick Bowness. Winnipeg is finding a scoring touch it didn’t have before at 3.24 per game, while giving up just 2.52. That doesn’t spell well for Columbus giving up 4.10 per game on 36 shots a night.
"[Hellebuyck's] been our best player all year," Wheeler said. "For a guy whose won a Vezina and been second [in Vezina voting] before, this is the best I've seen him play. He's been the backbone of our team for a long time. He's just taken his game to another level and given us an opportunity to win every night."
That says a lot with where Winnipeg is at right now. If this combination can carry them in the postseason, we may be looking at a darkhorse in the Central. And there might be a lot this year.
Prediction
Laine coming back is going to help up front. Merzlikins will shore up some goaltending concerns. On this night, it won’t be enough. Jets win 4-1
Betting trends
Blue Jackets are 74-64 when playing with 3 days of rest or more all-time.
Blue Jackets are 14-12 off a home loss the last two seasons.
Jets are 24-11 after a division game the last two seasons.
Blue Jackets are 4-21 on the road after 2 straight losses or more the last three seasons.
Projected lines
Blue Jackets:
Johnny Gaudreau -- Boone Jenner -- Gustav Nyquist
Kent Johnson -- Jack Roslovic -- Trey Fix-Wolansky
Yegor Chinakhov -- Cole Sillinger -- Carson Meyer
Eric Robinson -- Sean Kuraly -- Mathieu Olivier
Vladislav Gavrikov -- Marcus Bjork
Jake Christiansen -- Andrew Peeke
Gavin Bayreuther -- Billy Sweezey
Joonas Korpisalo
Jets:
Kyle Connor -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Morgan Barron
Cole Perfetti -- Mark Scheifele -- Blake Wheeler
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby -- Adam Lowry -- Saku Maenalanen
Jansen Harkins -- David Gustafsson -- Michael Eyssimont
Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo
Brenden Dillon -- Neal Pionk
Dylan Samberg -- Nate Schmidt
Connor Hellebuyck
Statistical leaders
Blue Jackets:
Points: Johnny Gaudreau – 22
Goals: Boone Jenner – 9
Assists: Johnny Gaudreau – 14
Goalie: Daniil Tarasov – 2-3-1, 3.17 GAA, .912 SV%
Jets:
Points: Josh Morrissey – 25
Goals: Mark Schiefele – 12
Assists: Josh Morrissey – 20
Goalie: Connor Hellebuyck – 11-5-1, 2.29 GAA, .931 SV%
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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.
