Columbus Blue Jackets at Los Angeles Kings odds, picks and predictions

The Columbus Blue Jackets (21-38-7) make the 2nd stop of a 5-game road trip against the Los Angeles Kings (39-20-9) on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook's lines around the Blue Jackets vs. Kings odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

The Blue Jackets kicked off the road trip with an exciting 6-5 victory in overtime against the San Jose Sharks. While Columbus allowed 4-plus goals for the 5th consecutive game, the 6 goals tied a season high, accomplished 3 other times. One of those times was a 6-5 OTW against the Kings on Dec. 11 in the 1st meeting in Columbus.

The Kings picked up a 5-2 home win against the New York Islanders on Monday, and Los Angeles has now rattled off 6 wins in its last 7 outings. The offense has been alive, too, averaging 4.0 goals per game (GPG) across the 7-games.