Looking to win big? The Blue Jackets and Penguins face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Penguins are hosting the game at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. The over/under for this game is set at 6.5 goals, and the Penguins are favored by -1.5 against the Blue Jackets in a Metropolitan division matchup.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5

This game will be played at PPG Paints Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, March 28th.

WHY BET THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS:

  • With the Penguins being favored by 1.5, our NHL analytics models has this one playing out 4-3 in favor of the Penguins.
  • Take the Penguins on the moneyline
  • On the spread, we like Blue Jackets (+1.5)

Can Columbus Pull Off a Road Win?

With a record of 23-37-12, the Blue Jackets are in 16th place in the Eastern Conference and 8th place in the Metropolitan Division. On the road, Columbus has gone 10-19-7 this season and has lost three straight games away from home.

As the underdog, the Blue Jackets have gone 19-35-11 this season and have lost three straight games as the underdog. Over their last ten games, Columbus has gone 2-8 and has lost their last five games.

So far this season, Columbus has a puck line record of 40-32, including going 20-16 on the road. In their 65 games as the underdog, the Blue Jackets have a puck line record of 37-28.

Currently, the team’s average scoring margin sits at -0.8 goals per game. In their last ten games, the Blue Jackets have gone just 5-5 against the puck line and have dropped three straight games vs. the puck line on the road.

On average, Columbus’ games have finished with 6.6 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.5. In total, the Blue Jackets come in with an over/under record of 34-34-4.

In their last three games away from home, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 0-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 1 goals per game in this stretch.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Blue Jackets are averaging 2.8 goals per game this season, putting them in the 25th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 19th in the league. This year, the Blue Jackets have recorded a 8-11 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 14-25 record.

Columbus will be looking for a good game from Boone Jenner who leads the team in scoring with 22 goals, ranking 85th in the NHL. Jenner also comes into the game with 13 assists.

In terms of defense, the Penguins head into the game ranked 14th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.3 shots per game against Pittsburgh. So far, they are 1st in shutouts, achieving 7 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Daniil Tarasov has started 20 games this season. His current record stands at 7-10, and his save percentage is 0.573%.

Taking a Look at the Penguins Chances at Home

At home this season, the Penguins have gone 19-13-4 and have won two straight games on their home ice. In the Eastern Conference, Pittsburgh comes into tonight’s game in 13th place with a record of 31-30-10.

Over their last ten games, the Penguins have gone just 3-7, and they have dropped two of their last three games. When favored this season, Pittsburgh has a record of 21-15-6.

At home, the Penguins have a puck line record of 17-19, and their average scoring margin is +.2 goals per game. So far, Pittsburgh has been the favorite in 42 games, and their puck line record as the favorite is 17-25.

Overall, the team’s puck line record is 33-38, and they have 22 wins by multiple goals. In their last ten games at home, the Pens have a puck line record of 5-5.

Games involving Pittsburgh have an average of 6 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.3. In terms of their over/under performance, the Penguins come in with a record of 29-37-5.

Although Columbus has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 0-3. The team averaged 1 goals per game in these games.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Penguins are averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, putting them in the 24th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 6th in the league. Coming into the game, the Penguins have a 19-18 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 11-11.

The leading scorer for Pittsburgh’s offense is Sidney Crosby. Coming into the game he has 35 goals, ranking 16th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 41 assists so far.

In terms of defense, the Penguins head into the game ranked 14th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.3 shots per game against Pittsburgh. So far, they are 1st in shutouts, achieving 7 shutouts.

Goalie Tristan Jarry comes into the game having made 48 starts this season. So far, his record is 19-24 and he has a save percentage of 0.909%.