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Columbus - Boston: forecast for the NHL match
Columbus is back at home, where it will try to continue earning points consistently. On December 28, the team will face the clear favorite Boston, which is currently in excellent shape. Which bets should you choose? Find out in our forecast
Command Analysis
Columbus Blue Jackets
USACurrent form
Columbus began to recover from a long slump. The home game against New Jersey became a turning point: the team showed confident defense and realized many attacking opportunities, winning with a score of 4:2. Forward Monahan became the main hero of the match, scoring two goals and making an assist. Goalkeeper Merzlikin, who stopped 40 of 42 shots, also made a significant contribution to the success. However, the next match against Philadelphia was unsuccessful. Despite all efforts, Columbus could not stop the opponent, who made a comeback two minutes before the end of regulation. As a result, the match went into overtime, where Philadelphia won with a score of 5:4. This time, Merzlikin was unable to show his best game.
Playing at home again, the team still rehabilitated itself before the fans for the lost points. The Blue Jackets hosted Montreal and again showed a very productive game in attack, which allowed them to compensate for the failures in defense and snatch a victory in regular time (5:4). Thanks to the points scored, the club rose to tenth place in the Eastern Conference table.
Disqualifications and injuries
Columbus has some serious roster problems, with Danforth, Gudbransson, Jenner and Severson all out, and Merzlikin still a question mark.
Interesting trends for betting
- Columbus is allowing an average of 3.6 goals per game.
The club main problem remains its weak defensive play.
- The Blazers converted just 17% of their power play attempts.
It should also be noted that the team has great difficulty capitalizing on its numerical advantage.
Boston Bruins
USACurrent form
Boston has been in great shape for a long time and has been consistently earning points. In five games, the team has suffered only one defeat against Edmonton in overtime (2:3). The Bears already earned a significant advantage of two goals in the first period, but they were unable to maintain it due to lapses in defense. Returning to their home arena, the Bears were able to rehabilitate themselves in front of the fans, winning a confident 3:1 victory. This time, the defensive line played better, but in particular, it is worth praising forward Pastrnak, who made two important goal assists.
Continuing to play at home, the Bruins fought an even stronger opponent in the form of Washington and again achieved an easy victory (4:1). It is impossible not to mention forward Marchand, who made two assists and also scored a goal. Thanks to the large number of points scored, the club has already seriously strengthened its position in the playoff zone and is currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Disqualifications and injuries
Boston has virtually no problems with its roster. Only Pastrnak remains questionable, but he may still have time to recover for the upcoming match.
Interesting trends for betting
- The Bears average 2.6 goals per game.
Boston has not been known for its high-scoring play this season.
- The Bruins are averaging 11 penalty minutes per game.
The team also does not have good discipline and often leaves.
Trends
Bet First Goal: Columbus
In four of the five head-to-head games, Columbus opened the scoring
2.07Goal in each period bet - no
In three out of five head-to-head matches, the teams failed to score a goal in each period.
2.55Tip and bets
In the upcoming match, Columbus is a clear underdog, despite the fact that the team has come to its senses and has begun to earn points consistently. Boston has looked much better than the Blue Jackets throughout the regular season and has shown stable results, unlike the Jackets. It is also worth paying attention to face-to-face meetings, in which the Bears often prove their superiority. So we suggest not taking risks and betting on the favorite for an excellent coefficient.
Our prediction is a Boston win at 2.09
Bet on total
The match promises to be very goal-heavy, as Columbus prefers open, attacking hockey, which leads to a large number of goals scored. It is also worth noting the frequent failures of the Blue Jackets in defense, which also has a positive effect on the scoring.
Forecast - total over 5.5 goals for 1.71
Bet on the outcome of the first period
In the first period, Columbus may well put up a decent fight due to the home advantage. We believe that the Blue Jackets, at the very least, will not lose in the opening period.
Prediction - Columbus won't lose in the first period for 1.45
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