Columbus Blue Jackets (12-26-2) vs Carolina Hurricanes (25-9-7)
Game Info: Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 7:00 pm (Nationwide Arena)
Betting Odds: Columbus Blue Jackets +275 / Carolina Hurricanes -370 --- Over/Under: 6.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets face off on Thursday in an NHL showdown at Nationwide Arena. When these two teams faced off on January 7th it was the Blue Jackets that secured the 4-3 victory in overtime.
Carolina comes into this game with a 25-9-7 record overall and they have gone 13-4-6 away from home. The Hurricanes have lost four games in a row including the last game against the New Jersey Devils, 5-3. They gave up two goals in the 3rd period and that was the difference as they were defeated. Sebastian Aho finished with a goal and an assist. The Hurricanes are averaging 3.09 goals while their defense is giving up 2.73 goals per game. Martin Necas has scored 17 goals and added 22 assists.
On the other side of this matchup is Columbus who sits with a 12-26-2 record and they have gone 10-12-1 at home. In the last game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the defense really struggled giving up six goals and that led to the three goal defeat. Patrik Laine had two assists and two shots on goal. The Blue Jackets are averaging 2.55 goals while their defense is giving up 3.93 goals per game. The offense and defense are both ranked 30th in the NHL. Johnny Gaudreau has scored 11 goals and added 27 assists so far this season.
Carolina is 0-4 in their last four games. The Blue Jackets are 1-4 in their last five games following a loss of three or more goals. The under is 4-1 in the Blue Jackets last five games against a team with a winning percentage above .600. The Hurricanes are 1-4 in their last five games when an opponent allows five goals or more in their previous game.
The Hurricanes have struggled heading into this game, but this is a great bounce back spot for them. The Blue Jackets are averaging only 2.55 goals per game and they are going to struggle to score in this game. This is going to be a 4-1 or 4-2 type of game. Back the Hurricanes on the puck line to cash.