Although Rickard Rakell has experienced low shot volume down the stretch, we anticipate positive regression ahead of this evening's matchup against Columbus.
NHL
The lone action in the NHL tonight comes from PPG Paints Arena, with the floundering Columbus Blue Jackets visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Columbus has dropped seven of its past eight to fall out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, and my Blue Jackets vs. Penguins predictions expect Pittsburgh winger Rickard Rakell to start the weekend off in style.
Read more in my NHL picks for Friday, March 21.
My best bet: Rickard Rakell Over 2.5 shots (+105 at bet365)
My analysis
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell has totaled just five shots on 18 attempts across his past five games, and I’m expecting statistical correction to kick against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The veteran winger converted 51.1% of his attempts into shots through the first 64 games of the year, recording three or more shots in 28 of those contests.
Rakell has also driven five-on-five possession with a 53.4 Corsi For percentage, and he’s clicked with Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby for a 54.2% mark across 861:37 of shared 5-on-5 time. Rakell also ranks in the 91st percentile of forwards in shots on goal for the campaign.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are hitting the road for the second leg of a back-to-back after falling 1-0 to the Florida Panthers on home ice Thursday. Columbus is reeling, having gone 1-6-1 over its last eight games.
The Blue Jackets have allowed the sixth-most shots per game (29.6) during the stretch. Columbus has also spent the seventh-most time per game shorthanded during this run, so I expect Rakell to have an abundance of shooting opportunities tonight.
Rickard Rackell Over 2.5 shots
Over 5.5
Penguins moneyline
The Penguins and Blue Jackets have respectively allowed the second- and sixth-most goals per game, each holding long-standing trends to the Over.
Columbus is also likely to turn to backup netminder Daniil Tarasov tonight. He sports a disastrous .881 SV%, 3.52 GAA, and -0.36 goals saved above average per 60 minutes across his 17 appearances this season.
Pittsburgh starter Alex Nedeljkovic hasn’t been better by leaps and bounds, but he holds an 8-4-2 record on home ice with a .896 SV%. The Pens are also playing with pride and have won four of their past five.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Pittsburgh has hit the game total Over in 24 of its 42 games at home (+6.85 Units / 14% ROI), while Columbus has done so in 44 of its last 81 games (+7.50 Units / 8% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Blue Jackets vs. Penguins.
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Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.
Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.
Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.
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