The Ottawa Senators will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they head to Nationwide Arena to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus skates into the latest NHL odds with three wins in its last five contests after starting November on a nine-game skid.
While Ottawa opened as the road favorite for this matchup, the Senators will need their stars to shine to get the job done. Find out if Tim Stutzle can lead his team back into the win column in our NHL picks and predictions for Senators vs. Blue Jackets on Friday, December 1.
Senators vs Blue Jackets odds
Senators vs Blue Jackets predictions
The Ottawa Senators ended November on a sour note after falling 5-3 to the Islanders last Friday before getting shut out 5-0 by the Panthers this Monday. With the calendar flipping to December, they’ll have a good opportunity to get back into the win column against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who own the worst winning percentage of any team in the Eastern Conference.
If there’s one player who can lead Ottawa back to victory, it’s Tim Stutzle. The center leads the Sens with 22 points in 17 games — six more than anyone else on the team — while playing more than 22 minutes per night, by far the most among all Ottawa forwards.
Stutzle has been racking up multi-point outings consistently, registering at least two points in four of his last seven outings. Tonight, he should have plenty of opportunity to collect some points against a Blue Jackets defense that ranks 22nd in the league in goals against per game (3.42). Columbus has allowed at least three goals in three of its last five games, and the Blue Jackets averaged 4.22 goals against per game during their nine-game losing skid last month.
Elvis Merzlikins, their likely starter, has given up at least three goals in eight of his last nine appearances and 12 of 18 games this season, so goaltending likely won’t save the Blue Jackets either.
The Sens rank sixth in the NHL in goals per game (3.47) with Stutlze factoring on 37% of all their tallies this season. I’ll be looking for him to collect another multi-point outing as my best bet tonight.
My best bet: Tim Stutzle Over 1.5 points (+160 at SIA)
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Senators vs Blue Jackets same-game parlay
Brady Tkachuk anytime goalscorer
Senators moneyline
Over 6.5 goals
My best bet is not available for this same-game parlay, so we’ll shift our attention to forwards Brady Tkachuk, as we bank on the Sens captain to score a goal. Tkachuk leads Ottawa with 10 goals this season — nearly double the amount of anyone else on the team — while averaging nearly five shots on net per game.
We’ll also take the Senators on the moneyline and the Over on 6.5 goals to round out the parlay. Ottawa has the clear advantage offensively in this matchup as they’ve averaging over half a goal per game more than Columbus.
The Blue Jackets’ stars have been extremely disappointing as Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine have combined for just seven goals and 17 points this season — a big reason why the club sits in the basement of the NHL standings.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Senators vs Blue Jackets moneyline and Over/Under analysis
Ottawa opened as the road favorite at -141 on the moneyline with the total set at 6.5. The Sens offense should power them to victory tonight while also helping them cash the Over in this matchup.
The Senators have netted at least three goals in six of their last 10 games and four-plus goals in five of those contests. The Blue Jackets represent one of the worst defensive teams that the Sens have faced this season, so another four or five-goal outing should be well within reach.
Ottawa was already the better team coming into the game, but the team could be getting a huge boost tonight as Thomas Chabot is expected to return from a hand injury that kept him out since late October. Chabot has only skated in seven games this season, but he leads the Sens in ice time per game and will play a key role at both even strength and special teams.
Both clubs have also been porous defensively, which is why I'm ultimately taking the Over on 6.5 goals. The Senators and Blue Jackets are both giving up about 3.50 goals against per game and neither club has really benefited from great goaltending.
Historically, Ottawa generally comes out swinging after a big defeat, with the Over going 5-1 in their last six games following a loss of three-plus goals. Meanwhile, the Over has cashed in nine of Columbus’ last 13 contests.
Senators vs Blue Jackets betting trend to know
The favorite is 12-5 in the last 17 meetings. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Blue Jackets.
Senators vs Blue Jackets game info
| Location: | Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH |
| Date: | Friday, December 1, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN5, RDS |
Senators vs Blue Jackets latest injuries
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