The Flames play host to the Blue Jackets on Wednesday night, with puck drop set for 9:30 p.m. ET. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Flames are slight -118 home favorites on the Moneyline, and the game’s total is set at O/U 6.5 goals.
Below, I’ll provide a preview, prediction and pick for Wednesday’s tilt between the Flames and Blue Jackets.
Flames vs. Blue Jackets prediction, preview
Calgary Flames preview
The Flames are coming off a 2-1 win over the Flyers on Sunday night. However, this club has just two regulation wins and is in last place in the entire league with a 3-9-2 record and eight points. 14 different skaters have netted a goal, which is great and all, but Nazem Kadri is the only player with double-digit points. Calgary isn’t receiving much goaltending help from Dustin Wolf, who is 3-8-1 with a 3.39 GAA and .884 SV%. Among 71 eligible goaltenders, the 24-year-old ranks 68th in goals saved above expected and 62nd in SV% above expected.
As a team, the Flames rank dead last in goals per 60 and have netted a league-low 30 goals through 14 games. On the other side of the ice, Calgary hasn’t been much better, allowing the eighth-most goals and ninth-most goals per 60. The club draws tons of penalties but has been unable to convert its power play opportunities, ranking fourth-to-last in PP%. There has been very little discipline, too, with the club ranking sixth in penalty minutes per 60.
Columbus Blue Jackets preview
Columbus enters Wednesday night on the second leg of a five-game road trip. The club has won six of its last eight games after starting the new season slow with a 1-3 record. The youth movement is in full force in Columbus, with 24-year-olds Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov leading the team in points. There has been consistent production from depth roles, and the goaltending duo of Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins has been among the best. Both Greaves and Merzlikins rank inside the top 10 in goals saved above expected and inside the top 15 in SV% above expected.
The Blue Jackets are certainly average, ranking 13th in goals per 60 and 16th in goals against per 60. The 5v5 play has been convincing, though, with the team ranking fifth in both 5v5 goals per 60 and 5v5 goals against per 60. I’d expect the goaltending to feel some negative regression sooner or later, considering the club ranks dead last in xGoals against per 60. The odds of the Flames being the team to break that trend feel very low, however. The Blue Jackets’ special teams has been flat-out bad to start the season, ranking 23rd in PP% and 30th in PK%, while scoring the fourth-fewest power play goals.
Flames vs. Blue Jackets pick, best bet
Maybe I’m missing something here, but the odds don’t make much sense to me. The historical stats are there, with Columbus winning four of the past six meetings. While Dustin Wolf is a young, rising goaltender, I’m not sure he has the edge over Jet Greaves or Elvis Merzlikins. Per the DraftKings Sportsbook betting splits page, 78% of the handle and 55% of the bets lie with the Blue Jackets on the Moneyline at -102. Columbus is the better team and should take care of business tonight.
