Vegas Play of the Day: Columbus Blue Jackets at New Jersey Devils

By Jesse Granger

Sunday, March 5, 2017 | 10:59 a.m.

We’ve entered the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015. Bern stepped away in the middle of the 2016-2017 season with a 16-12 record and $13,317 bankroll, with Mike Grimala taking his place.

Columbus Blue Jackets minus-170 at New Jersey Devils, $680 to win $400:

Today, hockey makes a rare appearance in the Vegas Play of the Day to give hoops a break as we head into a month dominated by basketball.

Normally I don’t like laying a price as high as minus-170, but in this case, it’s not high enough to scare me away. The Blue Jackets are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, with a record of 40-17-6, and are playing an abysmal New Jersey squad that has lost six straight.

Columbus is the fifth highest-scoring team in the league with 3.2 goals per game, while the Devils are 29th in scoring. I think the Blue Jackets’ top goal-scorers, Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno, get back on track against a porous New Jersey defense after the two have been held scoreless in the past three games.

The Devils have allowed more than three goals in three of the six games during their losing streak, and I expect something similar tonight. Over five goals might be a decent play, as well, but I’m going to stick with the road favorites.

Current Standings: Keefer (38-31-2, $9,531), Grimala (5-6, $9,450), Granger (11-13-1, $7,990), Brewer (24-26-1, $7,155)