Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Preview
Looking to win big? The Penguins and Blue Jackets face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Blue Jackets are hosting the game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.
The Penguins come into this Metropolitan division matchup as the favorite to pick up the win. Currently, the over/under for the game is at 6.5 goals. Check out BetCoco for Columbus Blue Jackets – Pittsburgh Penguins odds
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Penguins and Blue Jackets did not have any head-to-head matchups last season. But over the last three times playing each other, the Penguins have a record of 2-1. However, against the puck line the Blue Jackets went 2-1. The over/under record in these matchups was 1-2 on an average of 5 goals per game.
- In their last ten games away from home, the Penguins have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.
- When looking at their past three home matchups, Columbus has an puck line record of 3-0 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
- The last ten games that Columbus was the underdog, they have an puck line mark of 7-3 while going 2-8 straight up.
- As the betting favorite, the Penguins have an puck line record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-2.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction
Before their matchup against Columbus, the Penguins arrive with a 7-6-0 record. They hold a 5-5-0 record when considered the favorites and 2-1-0 when seen as the underdogs. When they have hit the road, they have a 4-2-0 record this season, and they are 3-4-0 at home.
The Penguins come into the game scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game, putting them 17th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 14th in the league. This season, the Penguins are 4-6 when getting more shots on goal than their opponents. And in games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 3-0 record.
Entering the game, goalie Tristan Jarry has started 10 games this season. His current record stands at 5-5, and his save percentage is 92%.
Ahead of their matchup with Pittsburgh, the Blue Jackets have a 4-8-4 record. Their performance when favored is 0-1-1, while they hold a 4-7-3 record as underdogs. On the road this season, they have a 1-4-3 record, while they are 3-4-1 in their games at home.
On the offensive side, the Blue Jackets are scoring an 2.7 goals per game this season, ranking 24th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 12th in the league. Columbus’ offense comes into the game ranked 26th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 30th in the NHL.
Goalie Elvis Merzlikins gets the start and has made 10 starts this season. His record at this point is 3-3, and his save percentage is 90.1%.
The Penguins enter this game as 1.5-goal favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 4-3.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Tips
- Take the Penguins on the moneyline
- On the puck line, we like Blue Jackets (+1.5)
- Our NHL model projects 7 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Columbus Blue Jackets Injury Report
- Daniil Tarasov – Knee – Out
- Jack Roslovic – Ankle – Out
Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Report
- Jeff Carter – Upper Body – Questionable
- Mark Pysyk – Lower Body – Out
- Will Butcher – Undisclosed – Out
- Alex Nedeljkovic – Lower Body – Out
- John Ludvig – Concussion – Out
