Columbus Blue Jackets vs Ottawa Senators Prediction, 3/4/2023 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Columbus Blue Jackets vs Ottawa Senators

Date: Saturday, March 4, 2023

Location: Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON

TV: TSN5

Odds/Point Spread: Blue Jackets (+225) Senators (-275)

Canadian Tire Centre is where the Ottawa Senators (31-26-4) will attempt to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets (20-35-6) on Saturday. The odds on this game have Columbus at +225 while Ottawa is opening at -275. The over/under is set at 7.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will head into their next game feeling good after earning a 5-3 victory over the Sabres their last time on the ice. The Blue Jackets had a good offensive output in the victory. In the outing, they were able to notch a goal on 5 of the 36 shots they put on net. They also had 1 opportunity with more players on the ice and scored 1 goal. Columbus had 6 penalty minutes in this outing.

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When discussing their scoring, the Columbus Blue Jackets have earned 158 goals (30th in the National Hockey League) on the year and have surrendered 224. For the current campaign, the have a total of 46 points and their points percentage sits at .377. Columbus has accumulated 161 power play opportunities and they have scored 27 goals out of those advantages, garnering them a percentage of 16.77%. While playing at even strength, the Blue Jackets let the opposition score 181 goals while having 131 of their own. Columbus has tried 1,785 shots and holds a shooting percentage of 8.9%. The Blue Jackets have had 2,138 shots attempted against them and hold a save percentage of .895. Columbus Blue Jackets opponents have earned 186 power play opportunities (16th in the league) and have earned 43 goals in those chances.

The man protecting the goal in this game is Elvis Merzlikins. The opposition has been able to score 415 goals against Merzlikins in his professional hockey career and his goals against rate is 3.09. Merzlikins has been in net for 146 contests throughout his hockey career. His save percentage currently is at .907 during his 8,053 mins between the pipes. He has accumulated a record of 55-59-22 and he has gotten the start in 133 games. During his career on the ice, Merzlikins has tallied 64 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .481. Merzlikins has had 4,465 shots against him and has recorded 4,050 total saves.

The last time they were on the ice, Ottawa opposed the Rangers in a matchup where the Senators took home the win by a final score of 5-3. They had 3 chances on the power play in this game but weren't able to put one in the back of the net. The Senators netted 5 goals of the 34 shots on goal they took.

Ottawa has attempted 2,023 shots (8th in the league) and has earned a shooting percentage of 9.49%, while allowing their opponents 1,945 shots. They have a penalty kill percentage of 83.04% on their opponents 224 power play chances, and their save percentage is 90.2%. They have recorded 231 power play opportunities and they have earned a power play percentage of 25.11%. The Senators have racked up 134 goals at even strength and 58 goals (2nd in pro hockey) while on the power play. They have granted a total of 191 goals to be scored by of a combination of 153 goals at even strength and 38 goals while they were shorthanded. During this campaign, the Ottawa Senators have accumulated 192 goals, 66 points, and a points percentage of .541.

For the opposition you will find Cam Talbot between the pipes. He has gathered 11,449 stops out of the 12,525 shots attempted, which gives him a percentage of .914. Talbot is the owner of a lifetime record of 215-156-35 and has been in goal for 427 games. He got the starting nod in 409 games and has played for a total of 24,409 mins. Talbot's quality start percentage sits at 54.5% and he has 223 quality starts in his NHL career. Teams are averaging 2.64 goals/game and he has yielded 1,076 goals altogether.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy's Pick: Take Ottawa (-275)

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