Penguins vs. Jackets Game 3 Pick
Will the Pittsburgh Penguins take a commanding 3-0 lead in their series with the Columbus Blue Jackets when the two meet up today at 6PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Blue Jackets are favored at home today, as they are getting odds of -120 to win, while the Penguins are getting a money line of +100 to prevail. The over/under total for the game is listed at 5.5 goals.
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The Penguins won Game 2 on Friday night, 4-1. Pittsburgh has a 2-0 lead in the series, outscoring the Blue Jackets 7-1 in the series thus far. Pittsburgh is now 52-21-11 overall and 19-15-7 on the road while the Blue Jackets are 50-26-8 overall and 28-12-1 at home.
The Blue Jackets managed to lose a second game despite being the more physical team once again. Columbus had a 51-30 edge in hits and a 40-32 edge in shots, yet the Jackets were soundly beaten. Sidney Crosby gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead in the first and Jake Guentzel scored in the second. Evengi Malkin and Patric Hornqvist added goals in the third. Marc Andre Fleury racked up 39 saves in the win, giving him 70 saves in two games this series.
Bet on Penguins vs. Blue Jackets
Pittsburgh has comfortably won the first two games in this series, but I think Columbus will bounce back today. The Blue Jackets are a much stronger team at home and eventually their shot advantage will lead to a big scoring outbreak. The Penguins could find their legs wearing down a little bit after continuing to take hit after hit in the first two games. Pittsburgh may be a touch slower on the ice today, which should open the door for the Blue Jackets to grab a win.
NHL PLAYOFFS PREDICTION: COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS -120