Hurricanes vs Blue Jackets

Sebastian Aho leads a Hurricanes group into Nationwide Arena that, despite dropping three of its last five, has still banked 98 points and owns a 46-21-6 mark, while the Blue Jackets have cooled off sharply from their 12-game point streak and now sit on a 1-3-1 skid with three straight losses since March 24. Carolina’s forward depth with Aho, Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers gives them multiple scoring lines to throw at a Columbus blue line that’s missing key minutes from Damon Severson and could again be without physical winger Mathieu Olivier, while Columbus is leaning heavily on Kirill Marchenko, Zach Werenski and Adam Fantilli to drive offense. Historically Aho has been close to a point-per-game player against the Jackets, and Marchenko has repeatedly found the net versus Carolina, but with Pyotr Kochetkov already shelved the Canes still have a capable tandem in Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen to pair with one of the league’s best shot-suppression teams, whereas Jet Greaves has had to carry a massive workload behind a Columbus penalty kill that remains below 80 percent. With both clubs past the 70-game mark, playoff leverage favors a more complete Hurricanes roster chasing the top seed in the East against a Jackets team fighting just to stay above the cut line, and at a relatively modest -130 price for the superior five-on-five team, I like Carolina on the moneyline and would grade this wager an A- for a strong combination of win probability and reasonable return. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/03/2026 09:41

With the total set at 6.5, recent form points slightly toward a tighter game script, as Carolina’s last five have averaged a combined total right around six goals while Columbus, after its offensive surge during the point streak, has managed just 10 goals across its past five games and has been limited to three or fewer in every outing during its current three-game slide. The Hurricanes still generate plenty of volume through Aho, Jarvis and Ehlers, but their defensive structure underpins a goals-against figure just under 3.0 per night, and they now face a Jackets side whose recent scoring has leaned on Marchenko, Werenski’s power-play quarterbacking and Fantilli’s emerging playmaking rather than four-line barrages. Damon Severson’s absence removes an offensive puck-mover from Columbus’ back end, subtly dampening transition and the second power-play unit, while Carolina’s own injury issues are confined mostly to the crease with Kochetkov on IR and Shayne Gostisbehere working back to full health, which may actually encourage a more conservative road game to protect the remaining goalies. With both teams in a playoff race after 70-plus games, the stakes often push coaches toward shorter benches, matchup-heavy deployments and fewer high-risk pinches, all of which tend to shave a few chances off at even strength, so I lean to Under 6.5 at -111 and would grade this pick a B+, reflecting a solid edge toward a 3-2 or 4-2 type contest but acknowledging that late power-play opportunities and empty-net scenarios always keep an over in play. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/03/2026 09:41

Given how the Blue Jackets have played at Nationwide Arena and how their recent results have skewed toward one-goal margins, grabbing Columbus at +1.5 on the puckline makes sense even while favoring Carolina outright, as Columbus is 20-9-8 at home and four of its last five losses (Islanders, Canadiens, Sharks and Bruins) have come by a single goal or in a shootout. The Jackets’ core of Marchenko, Werenski, Fantilli and Charlie Coyle has shown it can trade chances with top teams, and Marchenko in particular has a track record of producing against the Hurricanes, while Jet Greaves’ .910-level save percentage has kept them competitive even when they’re not dominating territorially. On the other side, Carolina’s structured, possession-heavy style with Aho and Jarvis driving the attack, plus a deep defense led by Jaccob Slavin and K’Andre Miller, tends to control games without always turning that edge into multi-goal road blowouts, especially against another desperate playoff hopeful with last change and a strong crowd behind it. Severson’s injury does raise the risk of a defensive letdown for Columbus, but the Canes are playing their second game in three nights with travel after a physical mini-set against Montreal and New Jersey, which could flatten their forecheck just enough to keep this within a goal either way more often than not; at a steep -217, the value is just decent rather than elite, so I’d grade Blue Jackets +1.5 as a B, reflecting high likelihood of cashing but limited payout. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/03/2026 09:41