Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New Jersey Devils October 30 Betting Preview

Before heading to Finland for a pair of games against the Colorado Avalanche on November 4th and 5th, the Columbus Blue Jackets are aiming to end their two-game losing streak against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday afternoon.

After losing 4-0 to the Boston Bruins, CBJ will be facing the New Jersey Devils, fresh off a 1-0 shutout victory against the Colorado Avalanche.

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Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets enter Sunday afternoon’s game with a 3-6-0 record. CBJ has averaged 2.78 goals per game and 4.11 goals against.

We’re nine games into the season, and the Blue Jackets remain the only team to have not scored a powerplay goal this season, while the penalty killers have operated at a respectable 82.8 percent efficiency.

Coming off a 4-0 shutout loss to the mighty Boston Bruins, CBJ’s points leaders remain the same: Johnny Gaudreau leads the Blue Jackets with eight points (five goals, three assists), while Jakub Voracek (zero goals, five assists), Jack Roslovic (one goal, four assists), and Yegor Chinakhov (one goal, four assists) have five points for the Blue Jackets this season. These are the top CBJ players you’ll want to explore for prop bets.

We’re not sure where the Blue Jackets’ goaltending rotation is heading, with early season injuries, poor play, and the trip to Finland on the schedule making things a mess.

Elvis Merzlikins gave up four goals and made 25 saves in two periods against the Bruins before being replaced by Daniil Tarasov, who made six saves in twenty minutes of work.

Merzlikins has a 2-3-0 record, with a 4.31 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage, while Tarasov has a 1-3-0 record, with a 3.57 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage.

You’ll want to check closer to puck drop for who will get the start over the next three games.

New Jersey Devils Betting Preview

The New Jersey Devils are coming off a 1-0 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. The Devils improved their record to 5-3-0. New Jersey has averaged 3.00 goals per game and 2.75 goals against. The Devils’ powerplay is operating at 17.4 percent, while New Jersey’s penalty kill is operating at an excellent 92.6 percent.

Jesper Bratt is the New Jersey Devils’ top scorer, having scored thirteen points (three goals, ten assists) so far in 2022-23.

Nico Hischier (three goals, four assists) and Dougie Hamilton (two goals, five assists) have seven points apiece, while Jack Hughes improved to six points (three goals, three assists), scoring the Devils’ only goal against the Avs.

New Jersey’s goaltending is a little bit of a mess right now, with starting goalie Mackenzie Blackwood listed as day-to-day. Blackwood has a 3-2-0-0 record, posting a 4.31 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage.

Vitek Vanecek has played the last two Devils’ games, getting the win in both games against the Red Wings and Avs. Vanecek likely gets the start against CBJ on Sunday afternoon.

Blue Jackets vs. Devils Odds

The Blue Jackets are the underdog on the moneyline, listed at (+165) odds. The New Jersey Devils are the large moneyline favorite and will be against most teams, listed at (-205) odds. 

Our Prediction

CBJ supporters, Ohio hockey fans, we want the Blue Jackets to be competitive and win, but we also want to win our wagers.

The New Jersey Devils are a team that seems further down the team development path than CBJ and has been more successful on the ice, whether putting the puck in the net or keeping the puck out of the net. That means we’re favoring the New Jersey Devils for our betting picks on Sunday afternoon.

We’ll take the New Jersey Devils to win on the moneyline against CBJ. If we are taking a wager on the Blue Jackets, we’re hoping Columbus keeps it close and covers the puck line spread.

However, if we’re making a pick that is most likely to win, we have to pick against CBJ on Sunday night. Our pick is to take the New Jersey Devils on the moneyline.

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