Planning on watching today’s Hurricanes and Blue Jackets game? Catch the action at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH, as the Blue Jackets hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Hurricanes are favored by -1.5 in this Metropolitan division showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 6.5 goals.

CAROLINA HURRICANES VS COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5

This game will be played at Nationwide Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, February 29th.

WHY BET THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS:

  • Even though they are considered 1.5-goal underdogs, our projection points to a 4-3 win for the Blue Jackets.
  • We like the Blue Jackets on the moneyline (+197)
  • The Blue Jackets are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Will the Hurricanes Defense Show Up on the Road?

Heading into tonight’s game, the Carolina Hurricanes are in 4th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 35-18-6. In the Metropolitan Division, they are in 2nd place. So far this season, the Hurricanes have been favored in 52 of their 59 games and have gone 32-14-6 in those games.

Over their last ten games, Carolina has gone 7-3, and they are 3-2 in their last five games. On the road, the Hurricanes have gone 16-11-2 this season and have won three of their last five games.

Carolina has dropped four straight games against the puck line and is just 19-33 vs. the puck line as the favorite this year. The Hurricanes have 21 wins by multiple goals and have lost 13 games by just one goal. So far, Carolina has a +.5 goal differential per game.

On the road, the Hurricanes are 11-18 vs. the puck line and have a +.4 goal differential per contest. In their last ten road games, Carolina is 6-4 against the puck line, and their average scoring margin away from home is at +.4 goals per contest.

The average goal total for Carolina’s games is sitting at 6.1. The average over/under line for the season is 6.2. The Hurricanes come in with an over/under record of 25-33-1.

In their last three games away from home, the Hurricanes have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.

Offensively, the Hurricanes come into the game at 3.3 goals per contest placing 11th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 4th position in the league. Coming into the game, the Hurricanes have a 23-15 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 11-1.

Carolina’s current leading scorer is Sebastian Aho. This season, he has 22 goals, which puts him 42nd in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 39 assists so far.

Defensively, the Blue Jackets are currently 5th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 33.1 shots per game against Columbus. They also are 29th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Spencer Martin has started 14 games this season. His current record stands at 6-8, and his save percentage is 0.486%.

Does Columbus Stand a Chance at Home?

Through 58 games, the Columbus Blue Jackets sit in 16th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 19-29-10. They are 8th in the Metropolitan Division and have gone 4-14 against divisional opponents.

At home this season, the Blue Jackets are 10-15-4, and as the underdog, they have a record of 17-27-9. Over their last ten games, Columbus has gone 4-6, and they have dropped two of their last three contests.

As the underdog, the Blue Jackets are 33-25 on the puck line this season, including a mark of 15-14 at home. Overall, Columbus has 11 wins by multiple goals and 23 losses by more than one goal.

At home, the Blue Jackets’ average scoring margin is -.7 goals per game, and they have a puck line record of 5-5 in their last ten home games. In their last ten games overall, the Blue Jackets have gone just 4-6 against the puck line.

For the season, Columbus’ games have finished with an average of 6.6 goals per game. Their average over/under line for the season is 6.5. Overall, the Blue Jackets have an over/under record of 28-27-3.

In their last three games away from home, the Hurricanes have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Blue Jackets are averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, putting them in the 22nd spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 22nd in the league. In terms of the Blue Jackets’ offense during power plays, they are 30th in power play goals and 26th in shorthanded goals.

The leading scorer for Columbus’ offense is Boone Jenner. Coming into the game he has 18 goals, ranking 82nd in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 8 assists so far.

Defensively, the Blue Jackets are currently 5th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 33.1 shots per game against Columbus. They also are 29th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

Goalie Daniil Tarasov gets the start and has made 13 starts this season. His record at this point is 4-7, and his save percentage is 0.402%.