Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Islanders Prediction: What to expect from the game?

Prediction for the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Islanders match, which will take place on March 25. Check the team conditions and choose several betting options.

For Columbus, the current regular-season finale is becoming a formality. The Jackets haven't been on a tournament path for a long time now, having lost their realistic chance of making the playoffs a couple of months after the start of the season. Brad Larson failed to progress from his charges in his second year with the club, although the roster is stronger on paper than before. The Blue and Reds were in a real slump in March, as they'd suffered seven losses and two wins in their previous nine games, but they'd won both times in goal shootouts against San Jose and Washington, 6:5 and 7:6, respectively.

For the second year in a row, the Islanders have played below their potential. Last season the Islanders failed to make the playoffs which was a sensation, but now they improved in the second half of the regular season and are still in the top eight of the Cups. The Blue-Orange have been particularly productive in March as they have only gone scoreless twice in their last ten games, lost once to Minnesota 1:2 in a shootout, and celebrated seven successes. That surge allowed Lane Lambert's squad to move up to seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings, but the battle for the playoffs is yet to come.

The Islanders are one of the most motivated teams in the league at the end of the regular season, as the Islanders continue to fight for a playoff spot on the edge of Cup eight. No doubt, the team will be well prepared even in their game with Columbus. Moreover, in the last six personal meetings, the Blue-Orange team always beat the Jackets, so even now, they are the unconditional favorites in the confrontation. You can bet on the victory of the Islanders.

Columbus has long ago lost a real chance to make the playoffs and therefore began to have fun on the ice, forgetting about the defense of their own goal. In the last nine games, the Jackets allowed a combined 48 goals (5.33 goals per game average), a disgusting mark, while allowing at least four shots on goal each time. At the same time, the Islanders have a great attack, scoring 17 goals (5.67 average per game) in the last three meetings. Therefore, the optimal variant for the prediction seems to be an individual total of Islanders over 3.5. We should separately bet on the total over 0.5 points of Josh Bailey.