Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Philadelphia Flyers Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 4/5/2022

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Where to watch: Bally Sports Ohio, NBC Sports Philadelphia+

DraftKings: Flyers -125, Blue Jackets +105

BetMGM: Flyers -125, Blue Jackets +105

Caesars: Flyers -125, Blue Jackets +105

Blue Jackets: 32-32-6

Flyers: 22-36-11

There should be a law in the rule of sports. That if there are two teams on horrendous losing stretches facing one another in a late-season matchup should only play a one-goal-to-the-finish game. Even if you have to put three 20-minute periods on the board, the first team to score wins the game and we can all move on with the rest of our day.

That is the kind of game we find ourselves with on Tuesday when the Columbus Blue Jackets visit the Philadelphia Flyers in a matchup that will determine which team is not the worst in the current industry of the Eastern Conference. You tell me. Because neither one of these teams has anything to play for.

But in the betting world, no game is safe. No contest can be overlooked, and in the case of these two teams, do we want to even get to the point of such things? Because what we’re looking at in this game is two teams that may not be great right now, but one has young talent that will be utilized in the years to come in a return to prominence in the state of Ohio. The other one traded Claude Giroux for nothing and ended Keith Yandle’s ironman streak.

You tell me which is the better run team at this current point with 10 games remaining in the regular season.

Yes, the world should applaud the Flyers for upsetting the New York Rangers the other night in a 4-3 shootout victory in Madison Square Garden. Rejoice in the fact that the Flyers somehow found a way to actually win a game with Martin Jones in net. Rejoice even greater in life knowing that Owen Tippett, the prized piece in the Giroux trade with Florida, scored his first goal with Philadelphia on this night.

Did we mention Martin Jones won a game and made 43 saves while outdueling Igor Shesterikin? What kind of sad reality are we living in at this moment?

“We battled hard. That's a good team and they throw a lot of pucks at the net," Jones said. “The guys up front played with a lot of energy. We competed hard the whole night.”

Kevin Hayes, who played five seasons with the Rangers, scored the winning goal in the shootout in what was the most nonchalant shootout winner I’ve ever seen. The man just shot it like he would during an off-day practice and beat Shesterkin over his right shoulder. That’s nine road wins in 34 games for the Flyers. What a time to be alive.

And an even better chance to return home and win their *checks notes* 14th game in this dojo. And of course if this team was to actually win a game, it would come at the expense of the Blue Jackets coming into Philly having lost seven games in a row. The latest being a 3-2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins to complete the sweep of the home-and-home. Columbus lost 5-2 in Boston on Saturday by way of blowing a 2-2 tie with three goals in the third.

And how fitting is it that we’re talking about Columbus and Philly in the potential revenge game of one Jakub Voracek? The one who was traded for Cam Atkinson last summer, Voracek had two assists in the loss as the Blue Jackets brace for a back-to-back on the road.

But one has to wonder what will come of Voracek after his outburst with the officials on Monday night? Columbus defenseman Andrew Peeke was lying on the ground after a hit from Brad Marchand, and Voracek was assessed a 10-minute misconduct for being irate at the officials. NHL officiating being dumb? Must be a day that ends in ‘y.’

“You have a motionless player laying there on the ice, for a long time and (officials) let it run out,” Voracek said. “For me that’s inexcusable. That’s why I was so mad. I was worried about (Peeke). He hadn’t moved. I think they need to have a little bit better feel for the game at that moment.”

We’re expecting the world to burn in flames at the sight of this matchup, and to be honest it’s going to turn into a combustible element. Even though the Blue Jackets are reeling a bit, I have to think that the Flyers can’t sustain back-to-back games with Martin Jones in net of all people, even if he’s not the one going and it ends up being Carter Hart. Columbus, and the revenge of Voracek, strikes in Philly. Blue Jackets win 4-3

The over is 44-20 during Blue Jackets games this season.

The Blue Jackets are 8-15 against division opponents this season.

The over is 31-14 this season when the Flyers play their third game in four days.

The Flyers are 3-17 after they play a division game this season.

Blue Jackets:

Gustav Nyquist -- Jack Roslovic -- Patrik Laine

Jakub Voracek -- Cole Sillinger -- Emil Bemstrom

Justin Danforth -- Sean Kuraly -- Oliver Bjorkstrand

Eric Robinson -- Brendan Gaunce -- Carson Meyer

Zach Werenski -- Andrew Peeke

Vladislav Gavrikov -- Jake Bean

Jake Christiansen -- Adam Boqvist

J-F Berube

Flyers:

Travis Konecny -- Joel Farabee -- Cam Atkinson

Hayden Hodgson -- Morgan Frost -- Noah Cates

James van Riemsdyk -- Kevin Hayes -- Owen Tippett

Nate Thompson -- Patrick Brown -- Oskar Lindblom

Ivan Provorov -- Cam York

Travis Sanheim -- Rasmus Ristolainen

Kevin Connauton -- Ronnie Attard

Carter Hart

Points: Patrik Laine -- 52

Goals: Patrik Laine -- 25

Assists: Jakub Voracek -- 49

Goalie: Elvis Merzlikins -- 22-18-6, 3.41 GAA, .903 SV%

Points: Cam Atkinson -- 50

Goals: Cam Atkinson -- 23

Assists: Travis Konecny -- 31

Goalie: Carter Hart -- 13-22-7