The Columbus Blue Jackets received a bit of good news on Saturday when the league announced that the team would be hosting the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Nationwide Arena. Columbus was promised the event last season, but the game was canceled due to the lockout-shortened schedule. The announcement, which was made during the first period of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, is the only piece of good news the Blue Jackets have received as of late. The team is currently in the middle of their second three-game losing streak of the season and has fallen to the bottom five in the Eastern Conference.

The Ottawa Senators have not fared any better over the last couple of weeks and are on a five-game losing streak. The Senators have not won a game since they beat the Detroit Red Wings nearly 11 days ago, and they have faced a murderer’s row of opponents during that time in the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks—three of the top four teams in the Western Conference. Both the Senators and Blue Jackets will enter Tuesday night’s game looking for a timely win during the beginning of the second month of the season. Let’s take a closer look at the Senators versus Blue Jackets matchup and figure out which side of the wager has the most value to bet on.

Senators at Blue Jackets Betting Story Lines

Ottawa has played a tough set of opponents over their last three games but is currently in a generous portion of their schedule where they play seven of their next eight games at home. If the team cannot pull a positive record during that span, their season might just end before it ever really begins. The Senators are giving up a ridiculous 38.5 shot attempts per game while only taking 32 attempts themselves—that huge disparity between shots is part of the reason why Ottawa has played so poorly over the last five games. The team can score goals and ranks 11th in the league in goals scored with three per game. However, the Senators defense has simply not been able to keep the puck away from their net and has allowed goaltender Craig Anderson to be bombarded with shots.

During Sunday’s game versus the Dallas Stars, Anderson took a knee to the head during an overtime collision with Valeri Nichushkin and had to leave the game on a stretcher. Anderson is not expected to be diagnosed with a serious injury, but he’s unlikely to play in Tuesday’s matchup against the Blue Jackets. If the Senators can hang their hat on anything during the loss to Dallas, it may be the team’s solid play on offense and puck movement over the last two periods of play where they were able score three goals.

The Blue Jackets had a solid three-game win streak going before they faced a tough lineup against the Anaheim Ducks and a back-to-back against the Pittsburgh Penguins over the weekend. The team was shut out on Sunday and was only able to take 19 shots attempts while playing in their home arena. Columbus needs to take advantage of their four-game homestand and come out with a positive record. However, the team struggles to score goals on offense and has not moved the puck effectively over their last three games.

Senators at Blue Jackets NHL Betting Odds and Key Trends

Columbus opened as a -130 moneyline favorite over the +118 underdog Senators, according to BetOnline. The total was set at 5.5 goals, with the “under” being favored at -113. Ottawa is 4-0 during their last four matchups against the Eastern Conference and are 4-0 during their last four overall games. The Blue Jackets have gone under in three of their last four Tuesday games. Head to head, the home team is 4-0 during the last four meetings, and the “over” is 7-3 during the last 10. Columbus is also 5-2 during their last seven matchups on two days of rest but is 7-3 during their last 10 overall games. Ottawa is 3-8 during their last 11 games on the road.

Free NHL Picks: Senators at Blue Jackets Betting Predictions

Tuesday night’s game is a close matchup between two squads on the wrong end of losing streaks. The Blue Jackets have averaged only 22 shot attempts during their last three games and are not getting enough quality attempts to score goals. The Senators, on the other hand, are putting up goals, but they simply cannot stop their opponents from scoring, either. The team has allowed their opponents 15 goals over their last three games. However, do not expect Columbus to be able to take advantage of those extra shots that Ottawa will give them throughout the game. The Blue Jackets are slumping on offense, and the Senators should be able to pull off a road victory. Take Ottawa on the moneyline.

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Read more articles by George Monroy