Blue Jackets vs Bruins

David Pastrnak and the Bruins return from the Olympic break trying to snap a three-game skid against a Columbus team riding a seven-game heater, but Boston’s 21-8-1 home record and special-teams edge make them a justified favorite at this number. Columbus’ surge has been driven by an explosive blue line led by Zach Werenski and recent shutouts from Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves, yet their 14-12-3 road mark and mediocre power play are a concern against a Bruins unit scoring 3.39 goals per game with a 26.3% power play on home ice. Both sides list key forwards as day-to-day—Kirill Marchenko for the Jackets and Pavel Zacha for Boston—which slightly muddies projections but doesn’t materially tilt the matchup unless one is ruled out close to puck drop. Historically, TD Garden has been unfriendly to Columbus, with Boston handling this matchup at home, and with both clubs firmly in the Eastern playoff mix every regulation win matters, which should keep the Bruins leaning on their veterans like Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman in net. The Jackets’ form and improved coaching under Rick Bowness keep this from being a slam-dunk, but Boston’s combination of home-ice dominance, deeper forward depth through the middle, and special-teams advantage still makes the Bruins moneyline at -118 a solid but not elite play, worthy of a B grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/02/2026 09:20

Given how these teams were playing before the Olympic pause, the total of 6 looks a touch conservative, even with Columbus coming in off back-to-back shutouts and a blue line that has been driving a lot of their offense. Boston’s last five games have averaged well over six goals with leaky defending but a potent attack, and their season profile of 3.39 GF/G and 3.14 GA, combined with Columbus at 3.11 GF/G and 3.14 GA, points to a track record of high-event, chance-trading hockey more often than not. The one caution flag is the health of Kirill Marchenko and Pavel Zacha; if either misses, it trims some secondary scoring, but both teams still have enough firepower—Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie for Boston, Werenski, Adam Fantilli and Sean Monahan for Columbus—to take advantage of mid-tier penalty kills in a game that matters for Eastern Conference positioning. While Boston did blank Columbus 4-0 at TD Garden in December 2024, these current versions of the rosters are more aggressive offensively, and with the Jackets on a seven-game tear and desperate to bank points in the Metro race, they’re unlikely to sit back even in a hostile building. Factor in the likelihood of late-game risk if either side is chasing a regulation win for the standings tiebreakers, and the Over 6 at -133 grades out as a B- pick: the number is fair, the juice is heavy, but the offensive profiles and situational urgency still lean to goals. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/02/2026 09:20

With Columbus on a seven-game winning streak and rarely getting run out of buildings during that stretch, grabbing the Jackets at +1.5 on the puckline makes sense even while backing Boston to eke out the moneyline at home. Columbus’ recent run includes multiple multi-goal wins and back-to-back shutouts, suggesting their defensive structure in front of Merzlikins and Greaves has tightened considerably, and that travels reasonably well against a Bruins team whose last three losses have all been by a single goal in overtime or shootout. The minor injury clouds around Kirill Marchenko and Pavel Zacha tilt slightly in favor of the Jackets on the spread: a limited Zacha weakens Boston’s center depth and makes it harder for them to consistently extend a margin, while Columbus has enough depth scoring from Werenski, Fantilli, Kent Johnson and a heavy defensive corps to stay within one even if they finally drop a game. Given both teams are in the thick of the Eastern playoff and wild-card race, a tight, playoff-style script with coaches protecting at least one point is more likely than a runaway, which directly benefits a +1.5 position on the underdog. The price at -220 isn’t pretty and caps the value upside, but the combination of Columbus’ current form, their ability to generate offense from the back end, and Boston’s tendency to play one-goal games lately makes Blue Jackets +1.5 a reasonably strong safety-first play, worthy of a B grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/02/2026 09:20