NHL odds, preview, prediction: Blue Jackets vs. Avalanche for Friday 3/22

Blue Jackets vs. Avalanche Odds

Friday, March 22, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute NHL odds here.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Goaltender Daniil Tarasov is slated to guard the cage for Columbus and should be a good fade candidate. Tarasov has been generally underwhelming once again this season, posting a 7-9-3 record with a .903 SV% and 3.20 GAA.

Now, to be fair to Tarasov, he plays behind one of the worst blue lines in hockey. At 5-on-5, the Jackets rank 30th in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).

They bleed high-danger scoring chances at a high rate, and now this already poor blue line is in extra trouble Friday. Not only are they tasked with going against the league's highest-scoring offense, but they are likely going to do so without defensemen Adam Boqvist and Zach Werenski, who both missed Thursday's practice with injuries.

If both are confirmed out, the Blue Jackets will need to bring up someone from the AHL. Good luck to that poor soul who will be immediately thrown into the fire against Nathan MacKinnon and company.

Colorado Avalanche

Speaking of MacKinnon, he is currently leading this Colorado lineup toward its third-highest-scoring season since moving stateside in 1995. The Avalanche rank first in the league in goals scored per game while also ranking in the top seven in shots on goal per game, power-play percentage and shooting percentage.

I am not worried about regression with this group as they also rank third in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60). However, I am more worried about the defensive end of the ice.

At 5-on-5, the Avalanche rank 20th in xGA/60. They continue to bleed high-danger scoring chances, which makes the life of goaltender Alexandar Georgiev more challenging than it needs to be. Subsequently, Georgiev possesses a mediocre .902 SV% through 54 appearances in the crease this season.

Blue Jackets vs. Avalanche

Betting Pick & Prediction

Colorado is all run-and-gun, and I expect that to give Columbus a ton of issues Friday. On top of that, if the Jackets are without both Werenski and Boqvist and have to dip down into the prospect pool to bring up another defenseman, I could see the Avalanche scoring six or seven goals by themselves.

Even if the Avalanche "only" give us four (which they have done in seven of their past 10 games), I believe the Blue Jackets are more than capable of throwing up three against this Colorado blue line that has struggled to prevent high-danger scoring chances. Both teams' offenses are better than their defenses, and neither goaltender has done anything special this year to make me think we won't see at least seven goals in this matchup.

Pick: Over 6.5 (-120 at bet365 | Play to -125)