Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montreal Canadiens: Game Preview, Predictions, Odds, Betting Tips & more | Nov 29th 2023

On Wednesday, November 29th at 7 p.m. ET, the Columbus Blue Jackets (7-12-4) welcome the Montreal Canadiens (9-10-2) at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, as two struggling Eastern Conference teams face off.

Columbus secured a 5-2 victory against the Boston Bruins in its recent home game on Nov. 27, while Montreal suffered a 4-0 road loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 25.

The game is scheduled to air on both ESPN+ and BSOH.

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montreal Canadiens: Game preview

Struggling this season, the Montreal Canadiens are fresh off a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings last Saturday. Jake Allen, goaltender, managed to save 26 shots in the game.

With an average of 2.71 goals for and a defensive record of conceding 3.45 goals per game, their offense ranks 27th, highlighting the urgency to spark an early offensive surge.

Leading the top two lines, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Sean Monahan have combined for 18 goals and 29 assists. Despite their contributions, the offense has faced challenges.

On the other hand, with a commanding five goals performance against the Boston Bruins, the Columbus Blue Jackets clinched a three goal victory. Yegor Chinakhov played a pivotal role, scoring a goal and contributing an assist.

Leading the way, Boone Jenner, Johnny Gaudreau, and Kirill Marchenko have collectively scored 21 goals and added 19 assists, but the rest of the offensive unit has encountered difficulties.

The team's offensive average stands at 2.91 goals, but they allow 3.39 goals defensively, placing them 20th in offensive rankings. The emphasis is on kickstarting their offense early especially considering Boone Jenner's impressive record of 11 goals and five assists.

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montreal Canadiens: Head-to-head and Key numbers

• As of today, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens have competed in 39 games.
• The Blue Jackets emerged victorious in 20 matches, scoring a total of 114 goals. On the other hand, the Montreal Canadiens secured 18 wins, with 98 goals scored at their home stadium and 7 goals away. There was one draw in total goals, and no draws occurred at the home stadium.
• In the 22 games played at away stadium, the Blue Jackets emerged victorious in 10 encounters, while the Montreal Canadiens secured 11 wins, and the teams drew once.
• In terms of defense, the Blue Jackets find themselves at the bottom, ranking 30th in the league. They have allowed a total of 78 goals, averaging 3.4 per game. Defensively, the Canadiens occupy the 25th position in the league, having allowed 73 total goals at an average of 3.5 per game.
• The Blue Jackets rank 26th in the league with a goal differential of -11, while the Canadiens' goal differential of -16 positions them at 29th in the league.
• The Blue Jackets secure the 23rd position in the NHL for faceoff wins, boasting a 47.5% success rate. Meanwhile, the Canadiens exhibit a robust performance in faceoffs, claiming the fourth spot in the league with an impressive win percentage of 52.7%.

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montreal Canadiens: Odds and prediction

This season, the Blue Jackets, favored with odds shorter than -133, have clinched victory once in two games. The odds project a 57.1% likelihood of Columbus winning the impending match.

On the Canadiens side, they have attained six victories in 18 games as underdogs this season. When oddsmakers list the team at +110 or longer, Montreal holds a 4-10 record, implying a 47.6% chance of winning.

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montreal Canadiens: Betting tips

Tip 1: Result: Columbus Blue Jackets to win

Tip 2: Total goals over 5.5: Yes

Tip 3: Cole Caufield to score anytime: Yes