Posted at 2:00 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle  +131 BET365  +125   Sportsinteraction  +125 888Sport  +125

Anaheim +131 over Columbus

8:30 PM EST. OT included. It might be tempting to wager on the Blue Jackets here after they’ve won two straight and three of their last four with the lowly Ducks coming to Columbus, but that would be a situation that we call being “late to the party.” Before the season began, the Blue Jackets were in turmoil after a scandal that saw new head coach Mike Babcock get fired just 10 weeks after his hiring and before he could coach his first game. The Blue Jackets' stock before the year was low, and that was reflected in their prices. The Jackets were -113 against the Flyers on opening night, and then they were +192 versus the Rangers, +122 vs. the Red Wings, +139 vs. the Flames, and +203 at Minnesota in a game Columbus won 5-4 in overtime. This is the second time that the Jackets have been the chalk this year, and they are now spotting an inflated price based on recent results to an invader that is regarded as one of the dregs of this league.

The Ducks get no coverage because nobody stays up late to watch them, but there is something brewing in Orange County. Anaheim is just 1-4 to start the season, but it has also played the third-most difficult schedule thus far with games against the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas and runner-up Dallas, along with playoff teams in Carolina and Boston. The Ducks may have started slow, but they played well against the Stars, Coyotes, and Bruins, outshooting all three. In that game against the Bruins on Saturday, the Ducks totally dominated the B’s in every conceivable metric.

Situationally speaking, we love that the Ducks are playing the first game of a week-long four-game road trip that will see them play in Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh after tonight. Anaheim should not lack the motivation to put their best skate forward to set the tone for this road trip in what is a very winnable game against an overperforming and overvalued host.

Sherwood

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