The Columbus Blue Jackets face the Pittsburgh Penguins in what we’re thinking is going to be a tight NHL matchup on Friday, November 15, 2024, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Whenever there’s a tight game, you know there will be hot bets. So we’ve got the best prediction and betting odds for this smoking-hot matchup.
The bookmakers are pegging the Penguins as slight favorites in this matchup at -130, with the Blue Jackets listed as +110 underdogs. That’s not a huge difference between these two teams, but it’s enough you can take advantage of it.
The over/under is set at 6.5 goals which means the oddsmaker's expectations are that this game will have a bit of scoring, but they’re not expecting a blowout.
Both teams enter the game with some struggles, as Columbus is 5-8-2 and Pittsburgh is 6-9-3 this season.
Pittsburgh lost their last game 3-2 in overtime against Detroit the other night but showed they can hang on by overcoming a two-goal deficit. They’ve struggled to convert on the power play this season with only an 18.4% conversion rate and have a concerning 3.83 goals against per game.
Meanwhile, Columbus dropped their fifth straight game as they lost 5-2 to Seattle after squandering an early 2-0 lead. Their defense hasn’t been much better either as they’re allowing 3.60 goals per game.
On paper, it seems that this game could go either way, and it could, but let's break down the details of these 2 teams to see who might have the edge.
Pittsburgh's offense hasn’t clicked consistently. They’re averaging just 2.72 goals per game.
Evgeni Malkin, their offensive powerhouse, has a solid 18 points (5 goals, 13 assists) but hasn’t been able to lift the team out of its slump. After all, there’s only so much he can do if the rest of the team isn’t stepping up.
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has struggled quite a bit, with a .884 save percentage and a 3.21 goals-against average.
Despite their woes, the Penguins have dominated in their recent games with Columbus, winning 11 of the last 13 matchups. They also tend to perform better when rebounding from close games, making them a tempting pick here.
Columbus has shown promise at home (4-3-0), but their inability to score consistently has been fairly costly for the club.
Kirill Marchenko leads the team with a respectable 15 points, while goalie Elvis Merzlikins has been serviceable but not what we’d call elite, holding a .896 save percentage.
The Blue Jackets’ form is what’s concerning us. They’ve scored 2 or fewer goals in each of their last 5 games and have failed to cover the puck line in their last 4 as underdogs.
Defensively, they’ve been leaky in big moments as they have often given up leads.
Neither team is playing inspiring hockey. That’s unfortunate. However, the Pen's dominance in recent head-to-head matchups and a slight edge in offensive firepower give them the upper hand heading into this game. To take it a step further, Columbus’ struggles to close out games and maintain leads at home we feel further bolster Pittsburgh’s chances.
This will be a close game. Don’t even think about touching that puck line as it could go either way, but the Penguins do have a slight edge in this one.
BettorsInsider Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins win outright.
Best Bet of the Game: Take the Penguins moneyline at -130.
While neither team has been sharp, Pittsburgh has shown more resilience and has a favorable matchup history. We expect a close game, but Pittsburgh’s experience and Malkin’s creativity should make the difference.