New Jersey Devils vs Columbus Blue Jackets: Game preview, predictions, odds, betting tips & more

Sportskeeda

19 January 2024

No.12 New Jersey Devils (22-17-3) play the No.15 Columbus Blue Jackets (14-21-9) at Nationwide Arena on Friday at 7:00 p.n. ET. Both are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The game will be televised on Bally Sports and live-streamed on Fubo.

New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: Game preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets showed grit. They clawed back against the top-notch Vancouver Canucks in a nail-biting 4-3 shootout win. They bounced back from three losses, showing their toughness and clinching a well-earned victory. Kirill Marchenko, who tipped the shootout balance, praised the team's standout effort against a challenging rival.

Pascal Vincent, the head coach, feels good about the team's growth. He especially likes how their defense has gotten better lately. They did let in 25 goals in the last six games. However, data from Natural Stat Trick shows the Blue Jackets did well at stopping the other team from getting chances to score. Vincent finds this hopeful. He stresses that the team needs to be good at both offense and defense.

The upcoming challenge against the New Jersey Devils, a potent offensive unit, will test the Blue Jackets' defensive capabilities. A positive development for Columbus is the return of captain Boone Jenner after a month-long absence due to a fractured jaw.

Facing the Devils, the Blue Jackets aim to build on their recent success. Under head coach Lindy Ruff, the Devils have had a challenging season marked by injuries, with key players like Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton sidelined. Columbus aims to capitalize on this situation and improve its record against New Jersey, standing at 1-1-1 in the season series.

Devils vs. Jackets: Head-to-head & key numbers

New Jersey Devils: 19-12-0-0 against Columbus Blue Jackets.
Won 19 of 31 games as favorites this season.
62.3% implied chance of winning with -165 moneyline odds.
Surpassed a 6.5-goal total in 26 of 42 games.
5-4-1 record, earning 70.0% of possible points.
Scored 35 goals, averaging three goals allowed per game.
Faced underdog status in 40 games this season.
13 upset wins, 32.5% success rate.
9-18 record as underdogs with +139 or longer moneyline odds.
Implied 41.8% chance of victory based on the moneyline odds.
56.8% of games (25 out of 44) exceeded the 6.5-goal over/under line.
50.0% of possible points earned with a 3-4-3 record.
Averaged 2.5 goals per game (25 total).
Conceded 40 goals defensively (four per game).

Devils vs. Jackets: Odds & prediction

The New Jersey Devils are tagged as -165 favorites in this game. The Columbus Blue Jackets are marked as +139 underdogs. The total projected goals are set to be 6.5.

With the Devils' solid record when favored and the Blue Jackets' difficulties when labeled underdogs, it seems New Jersey has the upper hand. It's likely that the Devils will take advantage of this edge and bag the victory.

Prediction: New Jersey Devils 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 2.