Planning on watching today’s Blue Jackets and Blackhawks game? Catch the action at United Center in Chicago, IL, as the Blackhawks hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on NBCS. The Blue Jackets are favored by -1.5 goals in this non-conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 6 goals.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Blackhawks +1.5

This game will be played at United Center at 8:00 ET on Saturday, March 2nd.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS:

  • Even though they are considered 1.5-goal underdogs, our projection points to a 4-3 win for the Blackhawks.
  • We like the Blackhawks on the moneyline (+109)
  • The Blackhawks are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Can the Blue Jackets Live Up to the Hype on the Road?

With a record of 19-30-10, the Blue Jackets are 16th in the Eastern Conference and 8th in the Metropolitan Division. On the road, Columbus is 9-14-6 for the season and has lost two straight games. In the last 10 games, the Blue Jackets are 4-6, and they have been the underdog in 54 of their 59 games.

So far this year, Columbus has been favored in five games and has gone 2-2-1 in those contests. Against Eastern Conference opponents, the Blue Jackets are just 10-28. In their last three games, Columbus has a record of 1-2, and they have gone 2-3 in their last five games.

When favored, the Blue Jackets have a puck line record of 1-4 this season and 33-26 overall. So far, Columbus has won 11 games by multiple goals compared to 8 wins by just one goal.

Over their last ten games, the Blue Jackets’ puck line record is 4-6, and they have gone 1-2 against the puck line in their last three games. This season, the team’s average scoring margin is -.8 goals per game.

The average goal total for Columbus’ games is sitting at 6.6. The average over/under line for the season is 6.5. The Blue Jackets come in with an over/under record of 28-28-3.

Across the Blue Jackets last three road games, the team averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 4. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.

On offense, the Blue Jackets are averaging 2.9 goals per game which is 24th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 22nd in the league. The Columbus offense is ranked 31st in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 27th in the NHL.

Columbus’ leading scorer is Boone Jenner. So far, he has 18 goals which is 85th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 9 assists so far.

In terms of defense, the Blackhawks head into the game ranked 7th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 32.4 shots per game against Chicago. So far, they are 26th in shutouts, achieving 1 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Chicago, goalie Elvis Merzlikins has started 33 games in this season. His current record is 11-13, and his save percentage stands at 0.832%.

Can the Blackhawks Lock in a Home Win?

At 15-40-5, the Blackhawks are in 16th place in the Western Conference and 8th in the Central Division. Over their last ten games, Chicago has gone just 1-9, and they have lost their last five games in a row. In games against other Western Conference teams, the Blackhawks have gone 8-26.

Chicago has played 31 games at home this season, where they have gone 11-16-4. As the underdog, the Blackhawks have gone 14-39-5 this season. Over their last three games, Chicago has gone 0-3.

Chicago has dropped 32 games by multiple goals and has an average scoring margin of -1.5 goals per contest. So far, the Blackhawks have gone 27-33 on the puck line and have been the underdog in all but two games. In their last ten home games, the team’s puck line record is 6-4.

So far, the Blackhawks have dropped 13 games by just one goal, and their average scoring margin at home is -.8 goals per game. In their last five home games, the team’s puck line record is 3-2.

On average, Chicago’s games have finished with 5.6 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.1. In total, the Blackhawks come in with an over/under record of 22-36-2.

In their last three games away from home, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 3 goals per game in these contests.

On the offensive side, the Blackhawks are scoring an 2 goals per game this season, ranking 32nd in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 31st in the league. The Blackhawks went 1-12 in games where they had more shots than their opponents. However, in games with fewer shots on goal, their record was 14-26.

Chicago’s leading scorer is Connor Bedard. So far, he has 17 goals which is 102nd in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 23 assists so far.

Chicago defense takes on the Blue Jackets ranked 7th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 32.4 shots per game against Chicago. They also are 26th in shutouts, with 1 shutouts.

Goalie Petr Mrazek comes into the game having made 40 starts this season. So far, his record is 13-23 and he has a save percentage of 0.963%.