Each team is coming off a win in the previous round. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, it’s nothing out of ordinary; they’re 8-5 on the season. It’s a whole different story when it comes to the Arizona Coyotes, who have won only their second win of the season on Tuesday evening, setting their record to 2-1-13.
This makes Arizona the worst team in the NHL, but the 2021 season is still in its early stages, meaning that this team can do better. The big question is can they add another win to the list by beating Columbus on Thursday?
Blue Jackets vs Coyotes Odds
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Draw | Arizona Coyotes |
| +220 | +310 | +100 |
Betting odds taken from FanDuel Arizona suggest that the Blue Jackets are coming to Gila River Arena in Phoenix to record another win. They did exactly that in each of their previous five trips to Phoenix.
Actually, Columbus has been dominant in the Blue Jackets vs Coyotes duels in recent times, winning a majority of them, including the most recent one. The game in question happened on October 14, when we saw the Coyotes suffering their worst defeat of the season. The Blue Jackets beat them 8-2.
Arizona Coyotes Need to Improve Their Defense
The Coyotes are the worst team in the league both when it comes to offense and defense. They’ve conceded 62 points in the 16 games they’ve played so far, which is just too much. On the bright side, the Coyotes conceded three or fewer goals in eight of the 16 games they’ve played so far.
Unfortunately, their offensive game hasn’t been good enough to help them get anything out of those matches. The good news, however, is that they seem to be improving in the offense.
Still, it’s very likely that we’re not going to see them play overly offensive hockey against the Blue Jackets. Instead, they’re going to play cautiously in order to prevent history repeating itself. The last time they played against Columbus, they conceded eight goals. You can be sure the same isn’t going to happen this time.
Columbus Blue Jackets Going for a Kill
The Coyotes might be their favorite rivals. The Blue Jackets have won in eight of the previous ten duels, five of which took place in Phoenix.
Winning on Thursday night is probably in their plans. A win would help their efforts to get higher in the rankings in the Eastern Conference, which is why you can be certain the Blue Jackets are going to be focused 100%.
Another reason why they’ll probably be super motivated to win is that two days after this game, they fly over to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights. That’s the game they’re expected to lose, which is why getting points from their Arizona trip is a must.
Blue Jackets vs Coyotes Prediction
Columbus demolished Arizona the last time these two teams played. A month later, the same shouldn’t be the case. However, this doesn’t mean the Coyotes will win. They probably won’t. Instead, the Blue Jackets will likely get a win, albeit one with a relatively small margin.
Pick:
- Columbus Blue Jackets
