Wild at Blue Jackets 

Nationwide Arena – Columbus, OH 
7:00 PM ET 
Minnesota -210 

It’s a tale of two teams heading in different directions tonight in Columbus. And for good reason. 

The Blue Jackets are the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they sit 13 points out of the playoffs. Reality seems to have set in that they aren’t catching Washington or Boston. 

Meanwhile, the Wild is in the thick of the playoff race in the West. Currently in the No. 5 spot with 71 points, the Wild is within a couple of games of climbing to No. 3 or falling to No. 7. Every game matters. 

It should be no surprise that Columbus has lost four games in a row, including three at home. Last night against the mediocre Islanders, the Jackets were smoked 6-0. Now, they have to fly home and play a good team on the second half of a back-to-back. 

Conversely, Minnesota is playing well. The Wild has won two straight, scoring 11 combined goals in wins over the Red Wings and Rangers. The Wild is finding its groove as the season hits the stretch run. 

Expect the trends to continue tonight. In a big way. 

Norm LaChatlier’s picks: Minnesota -1.5 (+125) 

Friday’s Quick Picks 

Pittsburgh M/L (-160) 
Winnipeg M/L (+110) 
Vancouver M/L (-110) 

Thursday’s Winners 

Carolina M/L (-110) 
Buffalo M/L (+185