Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP
Columbus Blue Jackets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois, from left to right, Seth Jones and Artemi Panarin, of Russia, celebrate Jones’ goal during first period NHL hockey action against the Vancouver Canucks, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday, March 31, 2018.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 | 9:52 a.m.
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We’ve entered the fourth 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 back-to-back titles in the 2015-2016 and 2016-17 seasons, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015.
Columbus Blue Jackets minus-1.5 vs. Detroit Red Wings on the puck-line at plus-115: $500 to win $575
With 79 games down and only three to go in the NHL regular season, motivation becomes important when handicapping games. In tonight’s case, the Blue Jackets are hosting the Red Wings in a game that Columbus needs to keep its playoff hopes alive, and Detroit has all but packed it in for the year.
The Blue Jackets are the better team and are playing extremely well as of late, with an 12-1-1 record in their last 14 games. Of those 14 wins, eight of them have been by two or more goals, so I’ve decided to take Columbus on the puck-line tonight.
Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to start in goal for the Blue Jackets after taking the night off in Vancouver. Last year’s Vezina Trophy winner is 12-2-0 in his last 14 games with a .920 save percentage on the season. He should shut the Red Wings down, while Artemi Panarin, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson provide the scoring in a game that is a must-win for the Blue Jackets.
Columbus can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Florida loss to Nashville, so I expect them to play well at home and win by at least two goals.
Current Standings: Keefer (31-24-1, $11,646), Granger (17-15, $11,559), Brewer (24-23-1, $8,500), Grimala (14-19, $6,465)
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