Vegas Golden Knights vs. Columbus Blue Jackets November 28 Betting Preview

After an unexpected night off and a rare postponement in Nashville over the weekend, the Columbus Blue Jackets are back in action against the Vegas Golden Knights. Both teams have won two of their last five matchups but have very different records.

Essentially, only a few people believe our Blue Jackets will defeat the Golden Knights, who have been one of the best teams in the league so far this season. 

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Columbus Blue Jackets Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets enter Monday night’s game with a 7-12-1 record after losing their last matchup 3-2 to the New York Islanders. The Blue Jackets have lost their previous two games and three of their last four. 

Notably, four of the Blue Jackets' last five games have ended with a +1.5 goal spread. 

CBJ is averaging 2.90 goals per game on 29.8 shots while giving up 4.20 goals per game on 26.3 shots per game. The powerplay is still improving, having scored eight powerplay goals on the season, now converting on 16% of their chances. 

The penalty kill will always have their work cut out for them but can improve their efficiency, currently operating at 77.6%. (thirteen power play goals against)

The Blue Jackets won’t play again until Friday, so we see no reason not to start Joonas Korpisalo for his third-straight game. Korpisalo has a 3-4-1 record, with a 3.75 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.

Vegas Golden Knights Preview

The Vegas Golden Knights are back and look like Stanley Cup contenders early in the 2022-23 NHL season. The Golden Knights arrive in Columbus with a 16-6-1 record, although they have lost their last two games in a row and three of their last five. 

The Golden Knights have hit a total goals of six in four of their last five games, while three of their previous five games have ended with a +1.5 goal spread.

The Golden Knights’ stats don’t suggest it will be a fun night for CBJ. Vegas is averaging 3.48 goals per game on 33 shots while giving up 2.65 goals against on 30.1 shots. Jack Eichel is healthy and leads the Golden Knights in scoring with twenty-six points (eleven goals, fifteen assists).

The Golden Knights’ special teams are alright but have room to improve. The powerplay is converting on 21.2% of their chances (fourteen powerplay goals), while the penalty kill is operating at 74.1% (fifteen powerplay goals against).

We expect Logan Thompson to start for Vegas. Thompson has emerged from third on the depth chart to become Vegas’ starting goalie for 2022-23. Thompson has a 11-4-0 record, a 2.48 goals-against average, and a .920 save percentage.

Odds And Predictions

As mentioned, CBJ are the moneyline underdog at (+235) odds, while the Golden Knights are (-295) moneyline favorites. 

Using a total goals line of 6.5, the over is listed at (-115) odds, while the under is listed at (-106). Columbus has a 14-6 over/under record, while Vegas has a 10-12 over/under record.

Potentially no Johnny Gaudreau against the best team in the Pacific division means we’re taking the Vegas Golden Knights across the board. It’ll likely be a long night for Columbus, so we’ll take the lock of the Vegas Golden Knights on the moneyline. We’ll also take Vegas to cover the spread. 

This one could hit the over, improving CBJ’s over/under record. However, Vegas is likely to contribute far more to the over than the Blue Jackets. Sorry, CBJ fans, you’ve got to take the Vegas Golden Knights in this one.