Busy Saturday schedule delivers one fascinating matchup in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets welcome the Wild with both teams suffering from massive, odds-altering injuries.
Difficult weeks ahead
The Blue Jackets are heading into the new year from a familiar set-up. The playoff ship has already sailed, even though more than half of the regular season remains to be played. There are some positive signs though, with the team picking up points in four of their last five games. This is not a terrible team by any means. The Blue Jackets are matched by teams like Arizona and St. Louis rather than the very worst teams in the league.
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Columbus’ season has been marred by numerous injuries. That trend is still ongoing with six lineup regulars out. One of them is Patrik Laine, who is having a down season tainted by injuries. Even more significant is Zach Werenski‘s injury which has removed the team’s undisputed number one defenseman from the lineup. According to current expectations, the Blue Jackets’ health situation will not begin to ease until the turn of next month.
Rethinking game plans
Minnesota has an even more critical situation when it comes to injuries. They have the same number of players on the sidelines as Columbus, but the Wild’s absences hit even harder. Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon are the team’s two best defenders, while Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello form the heart and soul of the Wild offense. Filip Gustavsson has been the number one choice over Marc-Andre Fleury in goal, but now Gustavsson is also out injured.
Considering all these injuries, Minnesota loses most of the edge they would normally have over Columbus. Of course, the home side also have several guys missing from the lineup. However, I see the Wild’s absences having an even bigger impact. The Wild must rebuild their game plan with so many key players missing. In addition, Kaprizov is a unique player in that the Russian sniper can turn matches even on his own if necessary.
Let the cannon sing
This match is truly fascinating to analyze. It’s rare to see a match where so many key players are missing from both sides. For the same reason, this game is tricky to evaluate. The betting market may fluctuate more than usual in this game.
I see Minnesota’s absences as so significant that this is almost a coin flip. The market slightly disagrees at the moment, with +175 available for Columbus in regular time. That price is high enough for a small one-bet wager. May the cannon sing at Nationwide Arena on Saturday night!
Tip: Columbus Blue Jackets in regulation @ +175
Units: 1/10
The match will start on 1/6/2024 at 7:00 PM EST.
The odds are from the time of publication of the article and are subject to change.
Esa Kostet
X: @konekostet
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Register and Bet $25 on any match (min odds +100). Win or lose, you’ll get $100 in bonus bets!
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