Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Islanders - 3/31/22 NHL Picks and Prediction

New York Islanders (29-27-9) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (32-30-5)

Game Info: Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 7:00 pm (UBS Arena)

Betting Odds: New York Islanders -162 / Columbus Blue Jackets +135 --- Over/Under: 6.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The New York Islanders host the Columbus Blue Jackets in Thursday NHL Action.

The Columbus Blue Jackets come into this road contest with an overall record of 32-30-5. Through 67 games, the Blue Jackets are 5th in the Metropolitan Division. On the season, they have found the net 219 times, good for a rank of 12th among NHL teams. Heading into the game, Columbus is the 30th ranked defensive team, allowing opponents to score at an average rate of 3.7 goals per game. So far, the Blue Jackets have a strength of schedule rating of 4th in the league. When diving into their opponent-adjusted scoring margin, they come into this game as the 21st ranked team in the NHL.

The New York Islanders get set to host the Columbus Blue Jackets with an overall record of 29-27-9. This mark places them 6th in the Metropolitan division. Through 65 games, the Islanders have scored 178 goals, giving them an average of 2.72. This output gives them a rank of 26th among NHL teams. On defense, New York is the 5th ranked unit, giving up 2.69 goals per contest. So far, the Islanders have played the 32nd easiest schedule in the league. And, when taking into account New York's scoring margin relative to the quality of their competition, they come in with a power ranking of 20th in the NHL.

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Through 48 games, the Columbus Blue Jackets goal and overall scoring leader is Patrik Laine with 51 points. He has reached his mark of 25 goals, on a shooting percentage of 17.6%. So far, 16.0% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Oliver Bjorkstrand, who has 26 assists to go along with his 24 goals. However, when on the ice the Blue Jackets are -27 in scoring differential. Columbus's top goalie is Elvis Merzlikins, who is giving up an average of 3.4 goals per game.

Through 56 games, the New York Islanders' goal and overall scoring leader is Brock Nelson, with 48 points. He has reached his mark of 32 goals, on a shooting percentage of 23.2%. So far, 28% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Mathew Barzal, who has 32 assists to go along with his 12 goals. However, when on the ice the Islanders are -6 in scoring differential. New York's top goalie is Ilya Sorokin, who is giving up an average of 2.3 goals per game. In his 43 games played, he has turned in 31 quality starts, giving him a quality start percentage above the league average.

In Columbus's 67 games, the over has hit in over half of their games, going 41-23-3. So far, taking the over when the Blue Jackets are playing away from home has been a good bet with an over-under record of 18-13-1. On the season, 72.0% of Columbus's games have gone for at least 6 goals or more, with 47.0% of the scoring coming from the Blue Jackets. Coming into this game, the Islanders have an over-under record of 30-33-1. When playing at home, the over is hitting less than half the time, going 12-20-1. On the season, 48.0% of New York's games have gone for at least 6 goals or more, with 48.0% of the scoring coming from the Islanders. With a line set at 6.5 goals, I don't see the Islanders scoring enough to help push this matchup over the betting total. I recommend taking the under.

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