The NHL betting action continues Thursday, March 31, 2022, with the Metropolitan Division showdown from UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, so we bring you the best Blue Jackets vs. Islanders betting pick and odds.
Columbus and New York close down their four-game regular-season series, and the Islanders search for their third consecutive victory over the Blue Jackets. According to Draftkings Sportsbook, the Islanders are -190 moneyline favorites with a total of 6.0 goals.
The Blue Jackets lost four straight contests
The Columbus Blue Jackets (32-30-5) are coming off a 4-3 home loss to the New York Islanders this past Tuesday. Playing as +120 home underdogs, the Blue Jackets extended their losing streak to four games and suffered their fifth loss in the last eight outings on the home ice.
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov led the way for the Blue Jackets with a couple of goals. Columbus outshot New York 45-29 and won 30 of 53 faceoffs, but it wasn’t enough. Elvis Merzlikins got the starting call for the third straight game, and the 27-year-old netminder allowed four goals on 29 shots.
Merzlikins could get another starting call Thursday because Joonas Korpisalo is done for the season with a hip injury. Elvis is 22-16-5 with a 3.40 GAA and .902 save percentage. The Blue Jackets surrender 3.70 goals per game (30th in the NHL) and score 3.21 in a return (13th).
The Islanders beat Columbus to snap a two-game skid
The New York Islanders improved to 29-27-9 on the season following that narrow victory at the Blue Jackets. They overcame an early 1-0 deficit, and the Islanders had a three-goal lead midway through the second period.
Four different players found the back of the net for New York, including center Brock Nelson, who increased his season tally to 32 goals. Semyon Varlamov had a big night between the pipes and finished with 42 saves.
Varlamov is now 7-13-2 with a 2.88 GAA and .914 save percentage in 2021-22. Ilya Sorokin, who’s 22-14-7 with a 2.30 GAA and .927 save percentage, is projected to patrol the crease Thursday, but he’s struggling with an upper-body injury. The Islanders allow only 2.69 goals per game (5th in the NHL) and score 2.72 in a return (24th).
Trends:
Columbus:
- 1-5 in the last six games overall
- 1-5 in the last six games on the road
- 3-7 in the last ten games against the Islanders
NY Islanders:
- 8-4 in the last 12 games overall
- 6-1 in the last seven games at home
- 4-1 in the last five home games against Columbus
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Islanders Pick
Both Columbus and New York are miles away from the No. 8 seed in the East and will certainly miss the postseason. Hereof, their final encounter of the regular season will be a tough one for the bettors. Just two days ago, the Islanders outlasted the Blue Jackets in Columbus, so I lean New York to grab another victory over their divisional rivals.
Although Ilya Sorokin is questionable to play, the Islanders are still a much better defensive team than the Jackets. Columbus’ defense has struggled mightily all season, while the Islanders have improved on the offensive end lately.
Pick: Take New York Islanders at -190
The Total:
Five of Columbus’ last six contests have produced at least six goals in the total, and four of those five have seen at least seven goals on the scoreboard. I’ve mentioned a few times how bad the Jackets’ defense has been in 2021-22, so give me the over on the totals.
Columbus has scored two or more goals in eight of its last nine outings. On the other side, the Islanders have scored three or more in four of their previous five showings. The over is surprisingly 13-7 in New York’s last 20 games overall.
Pick: Go over 6.0 goals at -120
