While some teams are fighting for their playoff lives, there are others that are now doing nothing but playing out the season. While you would imagine that a meeting between two teams on either side of that equation would result in a foregone conclusion, the reality is that the teams who are out of it right now would love nothing more than to play some sort of role in who gets in and who misses the postseason. It is that which makes these sorts of match-ups so intriguing, and we have one of them on tap for Friday night. The Pittsburgh Penguins are in possession of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, and while they will almost surely be the favorites to win in Columbus, you can bet that the Blue Jackets are not going to make it easy for them. The Pens are playing well enough to secure a playoff position, but they still cannot afford too many slip ups. You can wager on this one by visiting the NHL betting page.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Lines Analysis

When: Friday, March 11 at 7 PM EST Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus TV: ROOT and FSOH Radio: WXDS and WBNS Live Stream: NHL Stream NHL Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins (34-24-8) have done a great job of turning their season around, but they have to be careful not to let things slide again heading into the final few weeks. They have lost 3 of their last 5 games, and while they are still in possession of the first Wild Card spot, things are beginning to get a little tighter there than they would like them to be, with Detroit and Philadelphia both breathing down their neck. There have been some signs that the offense is slipping back into early season form, which is not a good thing, but when the Pens win, it is more often than not the offense that gets the job done. In short, they are inconsistent, but are going up against a Columbus team that is leaking goals this season. The Pens are averaging 2.7 GPG, and are giving up 2.5 GPG.

Why bet on the Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets (28-31-8) may not be sitting very pretty in the standings right now, but it’s easy to forget that this is a team that opened the season with 8 straight losses. Yes, they may be in the cellar in the Metropolitan Division right now, but they have done a decent job of righting their ship. The Jackets have been able to take their home record to 3 games above .500, and have taken 2 of 3 overall from the Penguins this season. They are on a decent run of form, having gone 5-3-2 in their last 10 games, and they are by no means going to roll over and play dead against their division rival. Columbus are averaging 2.6 GPG, and are giving up 3.0 GPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

As much as I think this one could go either way, I have trouble believing that the Columbus D can hold off Crosby, Malkin, and the rest of the Penguins offense. I think this will be a vital win for Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Penguins 4 Columbus Blue Jackets 2