Winnipeg Jets vs Florida Panthers: Panthers win in a productive encounter

Prediction for the NHL Winnipeg Jets vs Florida Panthers match, which will take place on January 26. Check the team conditions and choose several betting options.

Winnipeg survived their last move in 2011 and has made gradual progress each season, transforming themselves from league underdogs to playoff contenders. This regular season may be the first time the Jets have failed to improve on last year's result. The Blues and Whites had a disappointing debut, but even a change of head coach hasn't allowed them to make much of a difference. In the last six meetings, the team only managed to get one win over Detroit with a score of 3:0, while there were only defeats in the remaining five meetings. The poor start dropped Winnipeg to 11th place in the Western Conference standings.

Florida is having an outstanding regular season. The Panthers, under Joel Quenneville, had already played well last season to make the playoffs, and now Andrew Brunette is looking to improve on last year's result. The Southerners have been beating everyone since the start of the season, and even now, they rarely lose a game. In the last 12 meetings, the club has only twice lost to Calgary and Seattle 1:5 and 3:5, respectively, and once they drew against Dallas in a penalty shot with a 5:6 loss. Such strong results make Florida the leader of the Eastern Conference standings.

Winnipeg is coming into this game in a poor mood and condition. In their last six games, the Jets have only managed to win once and lose five, which has already dropped them out of the top eight in the Western Conference. Florida, by contrast, are doing very well, taking the lead in the East and winning 12 of their last 15 games. Of course, the Panthers are much stronger than their opponent. That's why they are favourites for the meeting. As a result, we suggest betting on the victory of Florida for 1.90.

Florida is the most fun and open team in the entire league. Andrew Brunette's team is not afraid of conceding too many goals because they know they will score even more. A total of 292 pucks (6.95 average per game) have already been scored in 42 games with the Panthers, which is a tremendous number even by NHL standards, especially over such a long distance. The Winnipeg's stats are a bit more conservative, but the Southerners will undoubtedly force the Jets to play some offensive hockey in a head-to-head encounter. What's more, the opponents have scored 38 goals (7.60 goals per game average) in their last five contests, so we suggest betting on a total over 6.5 for 1.95.

Aaron Ekblad is having an outstanding regular season. In addition to his primary defensive duties, he's also been a solid offensive contributor. In 41 games, the Canadian defenseman has already scored 37 points (10 goals + 27 assists), which is a tremendous output for a player of his stature. Moreover, he is in his eighth season in the NHL, but now he stands a good chance of setting a personal best record. He is only four points behind the best record of his career. In such a situation, we suggest betting on Aaron Ekblad total over 0.5 for 4.5.