It will be a very special night in Columbus, as the Blue Jackets are set to retire Rick Nash’s number 61, becoming the first-ever retired jersey in franchise history.
The Bruins are coming into Nationwide Arena to ruin the party, however, and we’re leaning with the road favorites. The Blue Jackets will be playing their second game on as many nights, which will prove costly. Last night, Columbus, hosted the Los Angeles Kings and saw a 3-1 lead vanish, eventually losing in overtime.
Boston is playing their sixth and final game of this successful road trip, as it has gone 4-1-0 through the first five games, and is 6-1-0 in its last seven.
Here are our free NHL picks and predictions for Bruins vs. Blue Jackets on March 5.
Bruins vs Blue Jackets odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Boston Bruins opened up as -195 road favorites, but the line has shown some dramatic movement as they are now -220. The Blue Jackets are a nice-looking home dog as they are +180. The total started at 5.5 and has not made any movement.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Bruins vs Blue Jackets predictions
Predictions made on 3/5/2022 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Bruins vs Blue Jackets game info
• Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
• Date: Saturday, March 5, 2022
• Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: New England Sportsnet, Bally Sports Ohio
Bruins vs Blue Jackets betting preview
Key injuries
Bruins: Curtis Lazar F (Questionable), John Moore D (Out), Jakub Zboril (Out), Urho Vaakanainen D (Out).
Blue Jackets: Brendan Gaunce F (Questionable), Adam Boqvist D (Questionable), Alexandre Texier F (Out), Jake Bean D (Out), Eric Robinson F (Out), Joonas Korpisalo G (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Bruins vs Blue Jackets head-to-head record
Bruins: 2-1-1 SU, 9 goals for.
Blue Jackets: 2-1-1 SU, 8 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 8-1 in Blue Jackets in the last 9 games playing on 0 days rest. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Blue Jackets.
Bruins vs Blue Jackets picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The Bruins and Blue Jackets are set to meet for the first time this season. Patrik Laine continues to be on fire for Columbus as he tallied another goal last night, which was his 21st on the season, giving him 39 points in 36 games played.
Both teams' offenses are producing at a consistent rate, but the Bruins are a much better defensive team than the Blue Jackets. Boston is a Top-5 team in the defensive end, limiting its opponents to just 2.65 goals per game and 29.3 shots.
As good as Columbus’ offense has been, the Bruins should be able to limit its chances. The B’s also have the advantage in goal, but a starter hasn’t been named yet. Jeremy Swayman is the likely starter, looking to follow up his strong performance on Thursday night. He’s had a fantastic rookie season, going 14-7-3 thus far and skating to a .930 save percentage, along with a 1.95 goals-against average.
Linus Ullmark has also had a strong year in the blue paint, but his numbers are not as impressive as Swayman’s. Ullmark is 17-9-1 with a .908 save percentage and a 2.80 GAA.
Elvis Merzlikins has been announced as the starter for Columbus, he played last night against the Kings and allowed four goals on 43 shots. Fatigue might be a factor for him tonight after being peppered by the Kings last night. The Bruins shouldn’t have a hard time scoring goals against a weak Blue Jackets defense and a tired goalie.
Prediction: Bruins moneyline (-225)
Over/Under analysis
The Columbus defense has been horrendous this season. The Blue Jackets are the second-worst in the league in goals given up per game, as they average 3.62 goals against per contest. Merzlikins had a great start to the season but has really fallen off. He is now 19-14-2 with a .904 save percentage and a -6.7 goals saved above expected.
The Bruins are another team that relies heavily upon their top six for offensive production, but they got an incredible contribution from their third-line winger Craig Smith, who had three goals on Thursday in Vegas.
The B’s power play has been on fire lately as well, as they are the seventh-ranked man-advantage unit in the league. They convert on 24.2% of their power plays and should be able to produce against a Blue Jackets penalty kill that is ranked 14th. Both teams' offenses should take over in this one.
Prediction: Over 5.5 (-120)
Best bet
Merzlikins cannot be relied upon in goal and the Bruins offense has simply been too good. The Bruins are expected to score 2.63 goals per game and Columbus is expected to get 2.69, but both teams have been outperforming their expected goals and should continue to do so.
As of right now, the Bruins and Jackets are both averaging over three goals per game and when goalies play in a back-to-back they are typically more fatigued. I expected Boston’s offense to control the pace of play.
Columbus is going to have to find ways to score if they want to compete in this game, and that should lead to the Over hitting.
Pick: Over 5.5 (-120)
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