Detroit Red Wings vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction, 5/7/2021 NHL Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Detroit Red Wings vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Date: Friday, May 7, 2021

Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH

TV: Bally Sports Detroit

Odds/Point Spread: Red Wings (+118) Blue Jackets (-138)

Nationwide Arena is the site where Elvis Merzlikins and the Columbus Blue Jackets (17-25-12) will take on the Detroit Red Wings (18-27-9) on Friday. The odds on this game have the Red Wings coming in at +118 and the Blue Jackets are at -138. The over/under has been set at 5.

The Red Wings were on the wrong end of the scoreboard with a 2-1 loss against the Lightning in the last game they played. The Corsi for the Red Wings came in at 33 and the Corsi against when the final whistle blew was 64 which means they had a Corsi percentage of 34.0%. The offensive zone starts for them were rated at 48.1% and they had a PDO of 100.4 for this matchup. Detroit compiled 8 mins in the box in this matchup. The Red Wings didn't have their best offensive outing in this defeat. Their Fenwick was 23 and the Fenwick Against sat at 51, giving them a Fenwick percentage of 31.1%. They recorded 16 face-off wins when at even strength and lost on 20 attempts to take control of the puck. Moreover, they had 4 chances with extra men on the ice but weren't able to score. For the outing, they tallied a score on 1 out of the 23 shots they put on net.

The Red Wings have had 1,726 shots taken against them and are the owners of a save percentage of .907. When playing at even strength, the Red Wings let the opposition score 128 goals while having 101 of their own. Detroit Red Wings opponents have 154 power play opportunities (18th in professional hockey) and have tallied 33 goals in those chances. For the current campaign, they have recorded 45 points and their points % is .417. Detroit has taken 1,455 shots and holds a shot percentage of 8.0%. With regard to their goal scoring prowess, the Detroit Red Wings have notched 116 goals (31st in the NHL) so far this season and have given up 161. Detroit has accounted for 146 power play opportunities and they have tallied 15 goals out of those attempts, earning them a percentage of 10.27%.

The player guarding the cage in this matchup is Jonathan Bernier. In his career, Bernier has 188 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is at .530. He has a save percentage of .913 for his 21,593 minutes guarding the cage. Bernier has seen 11,399 shots against him and has accrued 10,402 total saves. Opponents have tallied 997 goals against Bernier in his career and his average for goals against per game is 2.77. He has compiled a record of 161-159-39 and he has started in 355 games. Bernier has played in 394 games during his pro hockey career.

In their last contest, Columbus played the Predators in a game where the Blue Jackets earned a victory by a tally of 4-2. Columbus wound up with a 41.4% Corsi rating. This Corsi rating tells us the kind of game Columbus had and they showed up in this game. Their Fenwick rate was 41.9% by earning a Fenwick of 31 and the Predators earning a 43 Fenwick. Their PDO was 107 and they earned an oZS percentage of 32.3%. The Blue Jackets netted 4 goals out of the 27 shots on goal they tried. They had 2 power play attempts in this game and recorded 1 out of those tries.

The Blue Jackets have earned 109 goals at even strength and 18 goals (29th in hockey) while on the power play. Columbus has attempted 1,565 shots (16th in professional hockey) and has accumulated a shooting percentage of 8.12%, while allowing their opponents 1,742 shots. During this campaign, the Columbus Blue Jackets have accounted for 127 goals, 46 points, as well as a points percentage of .426. They have recorded 116 power play opportunities and they have a power play percentage of 15.52%. They have recorded a penalty kill rate of 80.00% on their oppositions 130 tries on the power play, and their save percentage currently sits at 90.0%. They have permitted 175 goals to be scored by way of 149 goals at even strength and 26 goals while they had less men on the ice.

Across the ice you will find Elvis Merzlikins patrolling the crease. The opposition is averaging 2.54 goals per contest and he has conceded 140 goals altogether. Merzlikins' quality start percentage comes in at 57.4% and he has qualified for 31 quality starts in his professional career. He has been a starter 54 games and has played 3,312 mins. Merzlikins has accumulated a career record of 21-21-13 and has played in 61 games. He has recorded 1,604 saves out of the 1,744 shots taken, giving him a rate of .920.

Who will win tonight's NHL game ATS?

Guy's Pick: Take Columbus (-138)

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