Anaheim vs. Columbus. NHL match prediction and bets

Current form

After an unsuccessful end to the away series and an offensive defeat to Pittsburgh in overtime (1:2), Anaheim returned to their home arena, where they continued to lose points from game to game. The Ducks were not even able to cope with an opponent of their level, in the person of Chicago, losing with a score of 2:4. It is still worth noting that the hosts looked much better than the Blackhawks and consistently created dangerous moments in the opponent zone, but this did not bring the desired result due to the low efficiency of shots. Then the Ducks suffered a complete rout from Vancouver with a difference of as many as four goals (1:5). The defense played extremely poorly, which allowed the Canucks to realize their attacking potential to the fullest. Goalie Dostal also did not show his best, reflecting 86% of shots.

As expected, in the next match with Minnesota, Anaheim again had serious problems in defense, which this time led to a 2:5 defeat. Goalie Dostal played in goal again, and this time he played even worse. It is worth noting that the Ducks were able to play on the counter courses and even outshot the Wilds at the end of the match, but this again did not bring success. Due to such weak performances, the club dropped to the penultimate line in the Western Conference standings, equaling the league main outsider in points.

Disqualifications and injuries

It is worth noting that Anaheim does not have any serious problems with its roster. However, goalkeeper Susanek and defenseman Fowler remain in the infirmary, and forward MacTavish is also questionable.

Interesting trends for betting

• The Ducks average two goals per game.

The club main problem at the moment is its very low attacking performance.

• On average, the Ducks receive seven penalty minutes per game.

But the team plays very carefully and rarely breaks the rules.

Current form

Columbus still can't get its game going and continues to show terrible results from season to season. This time the team is only in 14th place in the Eastern Conference table, with an advantage over the last place of only two points. One of the main problems of the club is its not the most reliable game in defense, which allows opponents to create a huge number of dangerous moments near their goal and constantly shoot, which the goalkeepers are not always able to cope with. It would seem that the season started well, and the team, although with great difficulty, still earned points, but everything was replaced by another protracted decline, which continues to this day.

The Blue Jackets' losing streak has now reached four games, and only in one of them have they managed to give a worthy rebuff to their opponent. The Jackets played away to San Jose, where they were one step away from victory, but still had to lose in overtime (1:2). Remarkably, the team made 50 shots at the goal, but scored only one goal. In all other games, Columbus showed a terrible game, suffering defeats from Winnipeg (2:6), Washington (2:7) and Los Angeles (2:5). Both goalies Merzlikin and Tarasenko were unable to show their best side, and in general the defense again could not hold back the onslaught of the obvious favorites.

Disqualifications and injuries

Columbus has problems with its roster, which seriously affects the attacking line. Three forwards are in the infirmary: Brindley, Johnson and Jenner. Also, defenseman Gudbranson will not be able to play in the upcoming match.

Interesting trends for betting

• The Blazers average seven penalty minutes per game.

Columbus boasts a very disciplined game and rarely breaks the rules.

• The Blue Jackets are averaging 30 shots per game.

Columbus seems to be consistently getting a lot of shots on goal, but that not helping them get the results they want.