NHL Winning Favorites Between Columbus At Pittsburgh

It’s the final week of the NHL season, which usually means that fans are players alike are starting to think about growing their playoff beards. There is still some work to be done, though, before the razors are put away for what is hopefully a long time. While it certainly looks as though the Washington Capitals are going to be the President’s Trophy winners for the second straight season, the jockeying for playoff positions goes on right below them. The two teams that are the closest to them in the Eastern Conference also just so happen to be Metropolitan Division rivals. The Pittsburgh Penguins are #2 and the Columbus Blue Jackets are #3 to start out the week, but they could well be switching spots if the Blue Jackets can head into Pittsburgh on Tuesday night and come away with the win. There is only a single point separating these two, and if their previous encounters are anything to go by, we should be in for a beauty on Tuesday night. Find out more about the updated NHL betting spreads here.

A Closer Look At The NHL Winning Favorites Between Blue Jackets At Penguins

When: Tuesday, April 4 at 7 PM EST Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh TV: ROOT and FSOH Radio: 97.1 The Fan and The X at 105.9 Live Stream: NHL.TV NHL Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets (49-21-8) are finally turning out to be the team that many hockey fans believed they would be last year. This is an incredibly talented group of players that are good at both ends of the ice, and they can beat you offensively or by shutting the door on defense. The Blue Jackets would love to get the #2 seed in the East, but will probably need to win this one for that to happen. The good news is that they have already taken 2 of 3 from the Penguins this season, so getting a win is no out of the question. Columbus have been very effective on the road this season, going 21-10-7.

Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins (48-19-11) appear to have rediscovered their winning groove after a rough patch of games that saw them drop 4 in a row. They broke out with an OT win over the New York Rangers, and then followed that up with a gritty 3-2 win over a Carolina Hurricanes team that has been playing very good hockey recently. This game may well prove to be the game that shows that they are out of the slump for good, as a win would all but ensure that the Penguins would be the #2 seed in the East. The Penguin are an astonishing 30-6-4 on home ice this season, so it’s going to be tough for any team to go in there and get a win.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I think if we can expect anything from this game, it would be goals. The 3 games that these two have played against one another this season have yielded 18 goals, so expect more of the same. I like the Penguins to win another close one.

Columbus Blue Jackets 3 Pittsburgh Penguins 4