The St. Louis Blues (19-17-4) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (16-17-6) on Saturday, January 4th. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus and televised on ESPN+. The Blues are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jackets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Capitals. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Blues vs Blue Jackets

The St. Louis Blues Are Coming Off A Win

With a 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs, the Blues improved to 19-17-4 this season. St. Louis covered the puck line as underdogs, and the total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line.

The Blues trailed 1-0 after the first period but responded with three straight goals. Three different players scored for St. Louis, with Colton Parayko leading the way with two goals.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

After a 7-2 loss to the Capitals, the Blue Jackets are now 16-17-6 this season. Columbus, as underdogs, failed to cover the puck line, and the total of 9 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

Columbus allowed 5 goals in the first period, and Damon Severson scored their first goal at 19:11 in the second period. Kevin Labanc added another goal for the Blue Jackets later in the second.

St. Louis Offense Breakdown

Colton Parayko led the way for the Blues with two goals, his second and third of the season, and added an assist on Pavel Buchnevich’s empty-netter, which was Buchnevich’s 4th goal of the year. Jordan Kyrou also found the net for the third time this season.

St. Louis scored three times in the second period after a scoreless first. Ryan Suter picked up two assists, bringing his total to three for the season. The Blues took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways.

Blue Jackets Offense Breakdown

Columbus had 36 shots on goal in their 7-2 loss to Washington, but only found the net twice. Damon Severson scored his 4th goal of the season, while Kevin Labanc added his 2nd. The Blue Jackets were held scoreless in the 1st period before Severson got them on the board 49 seconds into the 2nd.

Columbus registered 13 giveaways and went without a power play goal. Adam Fantilli picked up his 4th assist on Severson’s goal, and Sean Monahan earned his 5th assist on Labanc’s 2nd-period tally.

St. Louis Team Defense

St. Louis’s defense gave up the first goal just 5:25 into the game, but they allowed just one more late in the third, securing a 4-2 victory. Jordan Binnington made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, while the Blues’ defense recorded 3 takeaways and 17 hits.

Columbus Team Defense

Columbus’ defense struggled in their last game, allowing 7 goals on just 22 shots from the Capitals. Goalie Daniil Tarasov made 15 saves but had a save percentage of 68.2%. The Blue Jackets’ defense also recorded 10 takeaways and 17 hits. Five of the goals they allowed came in the first period, including the first just 56 seconds into the game.

Blues vs Blue Jackets Trends

• When looking at their past ten road matchups, St. Louis has an puck line record of 8-2 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 6-4 overall in these games.
• In their last ten games at home, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.
• As the betting underdog, the Blue Jackets have an puck line mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. Columbus posted a straight up mark of 4-6 in these matchups.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Blues have gone 4-6 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.

Blues vs Blue Jackets Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Blue Jackets to defeat the Blues while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at -131, I’m placing a wager on the Blue Jackets to win outright.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Blues to cover. Even in the event of a Blue Jackets victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Blues should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.