NHL Picks Today: Friday, January 30
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Chicago Blackhawks
When you look at Chicago’s four-game losing streak, then it appears to be reasonable that the Blue Jackets are strong road favorites tonight. However, consider that those four losses came to the defending champs and three teams that are more than ten games over .500. It doesn’t make sense to fade Chicago because it lost to teams that are unequivocally better than Columbus.
With Chicago’s star center and offensive centerpiece Connor Bedard having regained his form – he has a goal and an assist in his last two games – Chicago’s only worry is defense. The Blackhawks are great underdogs today because Columbus’ offense is in a let-down spot after scoring 13 goals in its last two games. The Blue Jackets have been producing goals at an unsustainably high level that is grossly incommensurate with their statistically mediocre goal-scoring ranking.
But the biggest reason why I want to fade the Blue Jackets is the following trend: Columbus has lost the first game of a multi-game road trip five times in a row. The Blue Jackets are thus in a bad spot, whereas Chicago gets to return home after being blown out on the road. The Blackhawks have played very well in this spot, such as when they beat the Rangers 3-0 on December 10.
In sum, the Blackhawks finally get a beatable opponent in the form of a Columbus team that has been performing beyond itself; situational logic also dictates a play on Chicago.
| Matchup | Pick | Odds | Confidence Level | Sportsbook |
| Blue Jackets vs. Blackhawks | Blackhawks ML | +125 | Highest | BetOnline |
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Chicago Blackhawks
When you look at Chicago’s four-game losing streak, then it appears to be reasonable that the Blue Jackets are strong road favorites tonight. However, consider that those four losses came to the defending champs and three teams that are more than ten games over .500. It doesn’t make sense to fade Chicago because it lost to teams that are unequivocally better than Columbus.
With Chicago’s star center and offensive centerpiece Connor Bedard having regained his form – he has a goal and an assist in his last two games – Chicago’s only worry is defense. The Blackhawks are great underdogs today because Columbus’ offense is in a let-down spot after scoring 13 goals in its last two games. The Blue Jackets have been producing goals at an unsustainably high level that is grossly incommensurate with their statistically mediocre goal-scoring ranking.
But the biggest reason why I want to fade the Blue Jackets is the following trend: Columbus has lost the first game of a multi-game road trip five times in a row. The Blue Jackets are thus in a bad spot, whereas Chicago gets to return home after being blown out on the road. The Blackhawks have played very well in this spot, such as when they beat the Rangers 3-0 on December 10.
In sum, the Blackhawks finally get a beatable opponent in the form of a Columbus team that has been performing beyond itself; situational logic also dictates a play on Chicago.