Monday’s tilt between the New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets at UBS Arena is massive.
The Isles are just two points above the Blue Jackets in the standings, and the former is just two points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 13 games to go.
It may be a stretch to call this an elimination game, but it is about as close as you can get to one at this point in the regular season.
Find out where we land on this game, plus check out an exclusive promo code from Caesars Sportsbook below.
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Blue Jackets vs. Islanders betting preview
The Islanders and Blue Jackets go about their business in very different ways.
The Isles were already an offensively challenged team, but things only got tougher for them thanks to the injury to Mathew Barzal and the trade of Brock Nelson.
Patrick Roy’s club has scored 15 goals over its last four contests, but they were held to just three in their three previous games. You can’t count on the Islanders to put up a crooked number.
Betting on the NHL?
The Blue Jackets are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Columbus has struggled to score lately, but this is still a team built to outscore its defensive misgivings. The Jackets rank 11th in the NHL in goals per game, but they’re 27th in goals-against average.
Blue Jackets vs. Islanders pick
This will be a clash of styles, but it also projects to be a very cagey contest. Neither side will want to make the big mistake that costs it the game.
With that in mind, bettors can expect the first period of this contest to be a feeling-out process, with both sides playing things close to the vest and waiting for the other to make a mistake.
Backing the first period to end 0-0 looks to be a shrewd punt on Monday night.
The Pick: 1P Under 0.5 Goals (+400, Caesars Sportsbook)
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Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
