Columbus looks to climb in the Eastern Conference race during homestand
LAS VEGAS -- Sitting on an 8-2 win streak with Best Bets as we take a look at the first full card for 2025.
I'm going to look at an Eastern Conference showdown between a pair of teams struggling to stay relevant in the playoff conversation, as the Detroit Red Wings head into Columbus to play the Blue Jackets.
Let's do a deep dive into this one:
WHY DETROIT: The Red Wings shrugged off a four-game losing skid recently by winning two straight, topping the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals (4-2) and always scrappy Pittsburgh Penguins (4-2). Detroit is playing with the type of momentum you'd like it to with the calendar flip to 2025, as confidence should be brewing against a team it's beaten three straight times.
WHY COLUMBUS: The Blue Jackets just beat the Carolina Hurricanes in a shootout at home on New Year's Eve. With a day to revel in the new year and its third win in four games, Columbus should be up for the second game of a three-game homestand. Part of this 3-1 win streak is a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, as part of a home-and-home series. With playoff talk now becoming more of a reality as we're in 2025, the Jackets are starting to believe they can make a run.
All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
THE PICK: Blue Jackets -115 -- Columbus is in 10th place in the East, two points back of eighth-place Ottawa, which plays in Dallas tonight. Ninth-place Pittsburgh is idle, so it's conceivable the Jackets could suddenly find itself as a "playoff team" in the morning. It's only January, and we've got four months of season left, yes, but when you're chasing playoff slots, games like this mean so much more. Cheap price for Columbus at home.
(Season Record: 13-12-0, Net: -10$, based on 100$ units)