Flyers and Blue Jackets Meet in Friday Night NHL Betting Matchup

The Metropolitan Division in the NHL is home to one of the tightest race in the league, with just 4 points separating the division leading Islanders from the 4th placed New York Rangers. Sitting behind the pace and watching the action unfold are a pair of teams that look very likely to miss out on the postseason. That would be the Philadelphia Flyers and the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they are getting ready to lock horns when they meet on court for an exciting NHL betting matchup set for this Friday night at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.Date: February 13th, 2015 7:00PMVenue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OhioSpread: Columbus -125

Game Preview and NHL Betting Analysis

Despite coming from a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Montreal Canadians, the Flyers will argue that they are not quite dead yet, as they have picked up points in 6 of their last 7 games. This little surge in form feels like it is coming a little too late in the game, though, and they look as though they could very easily slip back into one of those awful patches of form that have been their downfall all year. A big part of the problem has been their play on defense, and specifically on the penalty kill.

The Flyers are 24th in goals against (2.8 goals per game) and have one of the worst penalty kill units in the league. On the bright side of things, their power play is ranked 3rd overall at 23.6%, but it always feels as though they are chasing games rather than playing from the front.If you are of the belief that a great power play unit is overrated, may we present the Columbus Blue Jackets as further proof. They are ranked #5 in the league on the power play, yet are languishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with no shot at getting near the playoffs.

This is a team that bleeds goals, and their 3.1 GAA this season puts them down at 29th overall. The have hit a little purple patch of form over the past three games, going 2-1 and scoring 14 goals in the process, including 7 against a very good St. Louis Blues team. However, the Blue Jackets need to get back on track after a 4-3 loss to the L.A Kings on Monday night, and the victory against the Flyers is a must as they prepare to play their next 3 games against Metropolitan Division opponents ( at New York Islanders, at Philadelphia, at Pittsburgh) and five of the next six, with visits to Montreal and the New York Rangers capping off a busy week ahead.Key Betting TrendsColumbus is 2-4 SU in its last 6 gamesThe total has gone UNDER in 9 of Columbus’s last 12 gamesColumbus is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at homePhiladelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 gamesThe total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia’s last 5 gamesPhiladelphia is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road

Consider This Before Placing Your Bet

Columbus holds a 2-1 edge in the season series so far, but all three games have been close. The Flyers have a pretty atrocious road record, which I think makes them the underdogs here, despite their current form. I think Columbus wins a tight one, but the good news for the Flyers is that they will get a shot at revenge when they face this same team on home ice next week.