NHL Battle of the Basement - Edmonton at Columbus

Before you write this game off, remember that it doesn’t matter who is playing, as long as you have a betting edge to go on.

Now that I got that out of the way, this is a showdown between two of the league’s worst teams. With only about a month left in the season, it’s a pretty safe bet that the Edmonton Oilers are a lock to finish last in the NHL. The good news if you’re an Oiler fan is that they will have the best shot at winning the lottery for the Number 1 pick in the 2010 Entry Draft. With some extremely talented players entering that draft, people in Edmonton are already thinking about next season.  As it stands right now they are nine points behind the Maple Leafs, the worst team in the Eastern Conference, for the NHL’s toilet bowl.

The Blue Jackets haven’t been as bad as Edmonton this year, but the only team the Blue Jackets are ahead of in the West standings are the Oilers. Needless to say, it has definitely been a disappointing season in Columbus. A lot of NHL experts expected the Oilers to struggle but Columbus made the postseason last year, granted it was the first time in club history, but at 14th spot in the Western Conference with 65 points, they have to be considered the much bigger disappointment.

Tonight is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between these two, with Columbus holding a 2-1 edge in the series. The last time they faced each other from the Nationwide Arena, it was the Blue Jackets walking away with 3-2 shootout victory on the strength of a Jakub Voracek goal in the fourth round of the penalty shots.

Columbus lost for the sixth time in its last eight games last time out, a 5-1 beating at the hands of St. Louis.

"We have to keep stepping up as individuals," forward R.J. Umberger said. "We chased all game and they had puck possession and we could not get it at all. It wasn't like we were passing up opportunities to shoot this time, we just didn't have the puck at all. It's tough to play like that."

Columbus was missing two of their top offensive weapons as Rick Nash missed his third straight game with the ever ambiguous, while Kristian Huselius continues to suffer from his own version of the lower-body injury, missing his third game in four contests.

Edmonton comes to town after dropping their third straight overall and the 15th of their last 16 road games. The last time out, Edmonton was on the wrong end of a 6-4 decision in Toronto on Saturday which was truly a battle of the basement.

    * Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
    * Oilers are 21-9-3 in the last 33 meetings.
    * Oilers are 13-38 in their last 51 games as an underdog.
    * Oilers are 15-44 in their last 59 overall.

With Edmonton clearly shooting for that lottery pick in the NHL entry draft, the pick tonight is on the Blue Jackets at -220. It will probably be the only time you’ll see the Jackets at such a big spread, but that’s how bad Edmonton is.