Date: Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Broadcasting: NBC4 WCMH-TV
Betting Odds: Hurricanes (-230) Blue Jackets (+190)
- Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
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The Carolina Hurricanes (22-13-1) are set to face the Columbus Blue Jackets (15-16-6) at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday. The betting odds place the Hurricanes at -230 and the Blue Jackets at +190, with the over/under total established at 6.5.
The Carolina Hurricanes are riding high after securing a 5-2 victory against the New Jersey Devils in their previous matchup. In that game, Carolina accrued 8 minutes in penalties and capitalized on 1 out of 4 power play opportunities. Demonstrating impressive offensive skill, they converted 5 of their 41 shots into goals.
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This season, the Hurricanes’ opponents have received 112 power play chances (ranking 9th in the league) and have scored 16 goals during those opportunities. So far, Carolina has faced 902 shot attempts, yielding a save percentage of .888. The Hurricanes have themselves taken 1,149 shots with a shooting percentage of 10.9%. At even strength, they have surrendered 85 goals while scoring 96. Carolina has had 113 power play opportunities, translating to 29 goals, resulting in a rate of 25.66%. With 45 points, they hold a points percentage of .625, having netted 125 goals (6th in the NHL) while allowing 101 against.
In goal, the Hurricanes will rely on Pyotr Kochetkov. Throughout his pro career, Kochetkov has seen 209 goals scored against him, averaging 3.15 goals against per game over 91 appearances. His career save percentage stands at .907, with 3,978 minutes logged and a record of 52-27-9 in wins and losses. Kochetkov has achieved 49 quality starts, boasting a quality start percentage of .563, having faced 2,257 shots and made 2,048 saves.
On the other side, the Columbus Blue Jackets faced a setback in their last game against the Boston Bruins, falling 4-0. Columbus struggled offensively, failing to score on any of their 18 shots and went 0 for 3 on the power play.
Currently, the Blue Jackets have scored 101 goals at even strength and 21 goals on the power play (ranking 19th league-wide). They have attempted 1,115 shots (5th in the NHL) with a shooting percentage of 10.94%, while allowing 1,072 shots against. Columbus has accumulated 122 total goals this season, earning 36 points with a points percentage of .486. They have allowed 133 goals against—106 of which were at even strength and 27 while shorthanded. With 100 power play opportunities, they maintain a 21.00% conversion rate and a penalty kill percentage of 75.00% against 108 opponent power plays, maintaining an overall save percentage of 87.6%.
Expect to see Elvis Merzlikins in goal for Columbus. Throughout his career, Merzlikins holds a record of 79-88-33 across 214 games, with a 48.0% quality start rate. He has made 5,835 saves out of 6,464 shots faced, yielding a save percentage of .903. Opponents have scored an average of 3.59 goals per game against him, totaling 629 goals conceded. Merzlikins has started 200 matches with over 10,508 minutes in net.
Free Prediction: Bet on Carolina -1.5 (+112)
