Planning on watching today’s Blue Jackets and Rangers game? Catch the action at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, as the Rangers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this Metropolitan division contest is set at 6.5 goals, with the Rangers being favored by -1.5 at home against the Blue Jackets.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS NEW YORK RANGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: New York Rangers -1.5

This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, February 28th.

WHY BET THE NEW YORK RANGERS:

  • Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Blue Jackets winning this game by a score of 4-3.
  • We like the Blue Jackets on the moneyline (+200)
  • The Blue Jackets are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Can the Blue Jackets Grab a Win in New York?

Heading into tonight’s game, the Blue Jackets are in 16th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 19-28-10. Against Eastern Conference opponents, Columbus has gone 10-26 this season and 4-13 against Metropolitan Division teams. On the road, the Blue Jackets have gone 9-13-6 this year and are 17-26-9 as underdogs.

Over their last ten games, Columbus has gone 4-6, and they have a record of 3-2 in their last five games. In their last three games, the Blue Jackets have won two games.

So far this season, the Blue Jackets have an average scoring margin of -0.7 goals per game. In their 52 games as the underdog, their puck line record is 32-20, and they have an overall puck line record of 33-24.

Over their last ten games, Columbus’ puck line record is at an even 5-5, and they have gone 3-0 against the puck line in their last three games. On the road, the Blue Jackets have a puck line record of 18-10, and their average scoring margin away from home is -.8 goals per contest.

This season, Columbus’ games have an average of 6.7 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.5. The Blue Jackets come in with an over/under performance of 28-26-3.

Although Columbus has a straight up record of 2-1 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs. the puck line going 1-2. The team averaged 4 goals per game in these games.

For their offensive performance, the Blue Jackets come in averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, which is 24th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 24th in the league. Columbus’ offense is currently ranked 30th in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 26th in the league.

Columbus’ current leading scorer is Boone Jenner. This season, he has 18 goals, which puts him 82nd in the NHL. Jenner also comes into the game with 8 assists.

Defensively, the Rangers come into the season ranked 20th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.3 shots per game against New York. For the season, they are ranked 19th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Daniil Tarasov has started 13 games this season. His current record stands at 4-7, and his save percentage is 0.402%.

Can New York Pull Off a Home Win?

At home this season, the Rangers have been dominant, going 20-7-0 and currently riding a five-game win streak. In the Eastern Conference, New York is in third place and has a record of 39-17-3. Over their last ten games, the Rangers have gone 9-1.

Overall, New York has been the favorite in 47 of their 59 games and have gone 31-14-2 in those games. Against other teams in the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers have gone 10-5 this season.

At home this season, the Rangers have a puck line record of 13-14 and an average scoring margin of +.7 goals per game. So far, New York has won 23 games by multiple goals and has an overall puck line record of 29-30. In their last three games, the Rangers have gone 1-2 vs. the puck line.

Overall, the team’s average scoring margin is +.6 goals per game, and they have been favored in 47 of their games. When favored, the Rangers have a puck line record of 18-29, and they have gone 6-4 vs. the puck line in their last ten home games.

Games involving New York have an average of 6.1 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.1. In terms of their over/under performance, the Rangers come in with a record of 29-27-3.

When looking at their past three road matchups, Columbus has an puck line record of 1-2 while averaging 4 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.

For their offensive performance, the Rangers come in averaging 3.3 goals per game this season, which is 10th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 15th in the league. This season, the Rangers have a 24-11 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. In games with fewer shots on goal, they hold a 15-5 record.

The leading scorer for New York’s offense is Artemi Panarin. Coming into the game he has 33 goals, ranking 8th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Panarin has 46 assists this season.

In terms of defense, the Rangers head into the game ranked 20th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.3 shots per game against New York. So far, they are 19th in shutouts, achieving 3 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Columbus, goalie Igor Shesterkin has started 38 games in this season. His current record is 25-12, and his save percentage stands at 0.907%.