Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Edmonton Oilers January 25 Betting Preview

On Wednesday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets will visit the Edmonton Oilers in a game between the team with the fewest points in the NHL and a team fighting for a playoff spot. 

The Blue Jackets will look to get a brief respite from their season-long struggles here, but will need to play their best on the road to do so. Meanwhile, the Oilers are hoping to remain one of the hottest teams in the league of late with a win of their own.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets began their current road trip with a loss in Calgary to the Flames, dropping a 4-3 contest North of the border. 

Once again, the defending of the net let them down, as they extended their streak to three games giving up at least three goals. But, Wednesday is a new day, and the Jackets will look to slow down the team tied for the longest active win streak in the NHL in the Edmonton Oilers.

It cannot be stressed enough how much the defense of the Blue Jackets needs to step up for them to have a chance in games like this one.

 Columbus has allowed the most goals of any team in the Eastern Conference, giving up 184 goals in 47 games. Their -62 goal differential is second worst in the league, better only than Anaheim’s -83, and Columbus will need to snap their streak of three games giving up three or more goals if they want a win here.

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Edmonton Oilers

While the Blue Jackets have been struggling, the Edmonton Oilers have been thriving in the Western Conference. 

They have won six games in a row, which is tied for the longest active winning streak in the NHL entering Wednesday’s slate of games. Here, they will look to put pressure on a Columbus defense that has struggled mightily of late, in a very significant game for the Oilers’ playoff push.

Thanks to their recent run of form, the Oilers now sit at the top of the Wild Card standings in the Western Conference. But, their cushion between being a Wild Card team and being on the outside looking in is just three points. 

Therefore, you can expect a sense of urgency for the Oilers in this game that they will feel like they should win against an inferior opponent based on their track records this season.

Keys To The Game

The biggest key to this game for the Blue Jackets is going to be finding a way to turn defense into offense.

 It is no secret that the Jackets are going to face a ton of pressure from the Oilers, with the puck likely residing in the Columbus zone for much of the night. But if Columbus can flip that into quick counters and rushes, we could see an upset on the ice in Edmonton on Wednesday night.

On the Edmonton side of things, not taking this game for granted is their number one key to success. Yes, the Oilers are the better team in this matchup, but they are just 12-11-2 at home on the year. There is no sure things in the NHL, and Edmonton needs to approach this game accordingly.