Best Bets: Blue Jackets get out to early lead and stave off Devils comeback

The Blue Jackets play host to the Devils, who they have a decent history against with a 8-5-2 record in their last 15 matchups. This looks a lot better than the Jackets last 15 games, where they’ve only won five games but walked away with four overtime losses and are coming off a massive 4-3 win against the Canucks that shocked the hockey world. They look to keep their momentum going against a Devils team that has made headlines for their injuries and have struggled with one win since Jack Hughes was injured but have kept close in games only being outscored 17-13 in their last five games.

They are coming off a loss to a bad Habs team and will look to regain momentum on the road. If you are looking to gain some positive momentum going into the weekend, here is our best bet for Friday night’s matchup that should help you get a win.

All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.

Pick: Blue Jackets score first (-105), Blue Jackets ML (+135)

The Blue Jackets aren't great on offense with the 20th-best offense and averaging three goals a game this season that is barely ahead of the Coyotes and Blue Jackets. New Jersey has a slew of injuries that has really killed their offensive production and with these two teams not looking to be huge-scoring threats, especially with the Devils’ play lately, it might be hard to call who will score the first goal or when.

These two are bottom of the league with wins when scoring first with the Jackets tied with the Sharks at eight and the Devils one spot ahead with nine. The Devils have scored first the fewest this season with a league-worst 13 times, which means they may have to fight back in this one if they want a chance. The Blue Jackets have been getting out to early leads more consistently with 22 games, where they scored first. I see them likely scoring first in this one and getting out to an early lead that the Devils struggle to come back from.