The Columbus Blue Jackets have only graced the face of the Earth for 17 years and in that short tenure the Jackets have only been able to qualify for the online hockey betting postseason twice. That’s far from impressive, but so far this season, the Blue Jackets appear to be well on their way to clinching their franchise’s third playoff berth.
As things currently stand, the Blue Jackets are tied for second with the reigning Stanley Cup Champions for the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division. Both the Penguins and Columbus have 75 points and since both have competed in 54 games, it’s safe to say that things are pretty evenly tied. But in addition to holding off the reigning sportsbook champs, the Navy Blazers will also have to keep the New York Rangers at bay.
The Rangers, who have played 55 games so far this season, are just 2 points behind both Pittsburgh and Columbus in the Metropolitan. As fate would have it, New York will be making the voyage to Ohio to face off against Columbus at the Nationwide Arena. There’re only so many of these games left on the schedule so you can bet that both teams will bring a diligent effort this Monday night. With that in mind, let’s see which team most NHL betting sites will come out in favor of.
ONLINE HOCKEY BETTING ODDS – REGULAR SEASON – Monday, February 13th
New York Rangers +1½ (-270) 5½ (-125) +110
Columbus Blue Jackets -1½ (+230) 5½ (+105) -130
As expected, the sportsbooks have come out in favor of the higher-ranked team. Nevertheless, if the Blue Jackets concede a loss to the Rangers Monday evening, New York will undoubtedly pass both Columbus and Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan. At first, this would appear to jeopardize Columbus’ playoff chances, seeing as only the top-three teams in the division are guaranteed a spot in the postseason. However, considering that the Ottawa Senators, the Atlantic Division’s No. 2 seed, have just 64 points, it seems more than likely that both Wild Card seeds from the Eastern Conference will get clinched by a team from the Metropolitan.
After competing in 55 games, the Rangers come into Monday night’s game with a 36-18-1 record that nets New York 73 points. The Broadway Bullies haven’t had too much success in overtime this season, but the prosperity they have enjoyed in regulation has been enough to keep the Rangers in contention for a top-3 spot in the division. New York comes into this online hockey betting contest riding a 5-game win streak and will be looking to extend that streak against their division rivals.
The Blue Jackets haven’t been as successful lately and they’ve picked up three losses in their last 5 games. Columbus might have been able to go undefeated in December, but so far in 2017, the Blue Jackets haven’t been able to replicate that success. They’re not exactly in danger of missing out on the sportsbook postseason, but if they don’t start to pick things up they very well could be.
