Free NHL Hockey Prediction: Panthers vs Blue Jackets NHL Odds
Looking for Florida Panthers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets free hockey plays & NHL Odds? NHL betting sees the Panthers taking on the Blue Jackets on Thursday March 16th, 2017 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NHL Hockey matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily NHL hockey predictions.
(30-27-11) Florida Panthers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (44-18-6)
Date: Friday March 10th, 2017
Time: 7:00PM EST
Venue: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
NHL Hockey Moneyline Odds: Columbus -165
NHL Hockey Puck Line Odds: Columbus -1.5
NHL Betting Total: 5.5
Live NHL Odds
Updated Sportsbook Bonuses For TodayClick here to view… NHL ATS Stats & Expert NHL Betting Insight!
Florida, coming off a very necessary 7-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, will look to right the ship late in the season as it heads to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets.
Columbus, with wins in four of the last five including a 5-3 victory over Philadelphia on Monday, will look to continue its great stretch of play against a Florida team that hasn’t been very good over the last month.
Florida Panthers
It’s been a very rough year on and off the ice for the Florida Panthers organization and it’s looking less and less likely that the team will see the playoffs for the second straight year.
Injuries, coaching changes, and just all-around poor play have prevented this team from being as good as it was a year ago.
On the injury front, the Panthers have been hurt all year, including now. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is sidelined with a concussion for 7-10 days and won’t play Thursday. Nor will goaltender Roberto Luongo, who is out with a lower-body injury.
Check out the free sports picks from Cappers Picks experts today!
Goaltender James Reimer will see the action until Luongo’s return. It’s been a rough year for him, posting a 12-12-5 record with a 2.62 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.
Offensively, the Panthers have been one of the worst in terms of goal scoring.
The team ranks 25th in the NHL in goals scored, averaging just 2.5 per game. However, the team looked great offensively against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where it put up seven goals.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a great all-around hockey team. Offensively, defensively, in net, this team has the right players in every position and it’s put the Ohio hockey squad in a playoff spot this season.
The team ranks 4th in the league in goals scored (219) and 3rd in the league in goals against (160). That plus-59 goal differential has led to a lot of wins for the Blue Jackets and the quality goaltending has much to do with that low goals against number.
[dfads params=’groups=234&limit=1&return_javascript=1′]
Starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been phenomenal this year, even fighting through a bit of a slump post-All Star Break. Bobrovsky is 37-13-4 on the year with a 2.08 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Offensively, Cam Atkinson has been the Blue Jackets best player. The right winger has 32 goals and 27 assists on the season. Over his last five games, he has three goals and two assists.
NHL Betting Trends:
- Florida is 2-8 ATS in the last 10 games
- Columbus is 4-1 SU in the last five games
Free Florida Panthers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Hockey Prediction:
Columbus is leaps and bounds better than this Panthers team. This should be an easy W for the Blue Jackets, as long as the team doesn’t sleepwalk through it.
4* Free NHL Betting Pick: Columbus ATS
Florida has been horrendous recently, losing eight of the last nine games and playing very poor on both sides of the ice. Columbus should cover the spread in this one thanks to its stellar goaltending and solid forwards.
NHL Free Score Prediction: Florida 2 – Columbus 5
If you’re looking for more NHL picks like this Florida Panthers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets matchup we’ll be providing 4* free NHL predictions on the blog during the entire 2017 NHL season, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free NHL Hockey picks!
CappersPicks.com has Stanley Cup odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NHL lines up for early games as well.