New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction, Preview, and Odds
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Despite their pre-season hype, the New Jersey Devils (15-11-1) started the 2023-24 campaign slow, but in recent times, they've managed to turn things around, and even in a jam-packed Metropolitan Division, if they can continue playing like this, they'll give themselves every hope of a Stanley Cup Playoff berth.
In this game, they'll take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (10-16-5), who have shown plenty of potential at times this season, but with a lack of elite level talent, they've struggled to take the step forward that the organization expected, and now, the rest of the season leading up to the trade deadline will be very telling about where this franchise see themselves going forward.
Can the Devils continue their incredible season turnaround?
After building a fantastic young roster, the New Jersey Devils came into 2023-24 as many people's favorite in the Eastern Conference, and while they started slow, things are now looking up, as they have posted a 7-2-0 record in their past nine games, taking them to 15-11-1 on the season, placing them firmly in sixth place in the Metro, just five points behind second place however. On the road this season, the Devils have certainly been impressive, tallying a 9-5-0 record, with four wins in their past five games away from home, but with a -1 goal differential on the season, this is a team that still has plenty of improving to do if they want to be a top tier team in the East.
This team is led by their fantastic young core, with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt both over 30 points on the season, while their depth has performed brilliantly, with another 11 players in double digit point totals, but in net, this squad still needs help, with their two starters combining for a 3.52 GAA and an .891 save percentage. Their last game was a crucial win over the top tier Boston Bruins, with goals to Hughes and Mercer the driving force, while Vanecek in net was admirable, stopping 23 of the 24 shots that came his way, leading the Devils to a much needed 2-1 victory at home.
Can the Blue Jackets somehow save their season?
The Columbus Blue Jackets have added some solid pieces in the past few years, but unfortunately, the depth of talent just isn't there, and even with a solid 4-5-1 record in their past 10 games, their record remains 10-16-5, placing them firmly in last place in the Metropolitan Division, with very little hope that this season can be saved. In 17 games at home this season, the Jackets come into this one with a losing record at 7-8-2, and with a -17 goal differential and 16 points separating them from the top of their division, it's safe to say that if something doesn't change soon, this could be yet another wasted campaign for this struggling franchise.
As he has all season, Zach Werenski leads this team in points with 23, the only player over 20 at this stage of the season, and while they're getting some solid contributions, their stars just aren't playing like stars, but in net, they've been more than respectable, posting a 3.55 GAA and a .905 save percentage. The Blue Jackets last game was a wild win over Toronto, as they squandered a 5-0 third period lead before an overtime winner from Kent Johnson secured the major upset victory on the road 6-5 over the incredibly talented Maple Leafs team.
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In previous years, this has been a very one-sided rivalry, and while the Blue Jackets picked up a solid 2-1 the first time these two teams met this season, it comes as no surprise that the Devils are heavily favored in this one after picking up seven wins in their past nine games, while Columbus have struggled for consistency all season long.
The head-to-head may be 5-5 in their past 10 games, but in their past four, the Devils have posted an impressive 3-1 record, outscoring Columbus by a score of 19-6, so while no one can ever count out this resilient Blue Jackets squad, they've only got so many upsets in them, and this shouldn't be one.
Prediction: New Jersey -1.5
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Similar to their head-to-head record, the over in the past 10 meetings comes in at 5-5, but with so much offensive talent all over the ice along with two teams who's goaltending has allowed over 3.40 goals a game, it's safe to say that this should be a high-scoring affair.
For the Devils, the over sits at 5-5 in their past 10 games, while scoring 16 goals in their past four victories away from home, and for the Blue Jackets, the over is also 5-5 in their past 10 games, but at home in their past five, they've averaged three goals per game while allowing four per game, so with the Devils high-powered lineup coming into town after they allowed five goals to Toronto, we can expect more fireworks in this one.
