Blue Jackets vs Panthers

Columbus comes in with the momentum edge after snapping a four-game losing skid and immediately backing it up with another win, while Florida has dropped four straight and continues to leak points on a homestand that was supposed to be a springboard. The Jackets’ injury report is light, with only depth winger Mathieu Olivier out, whereas the Panthers are still listing Barkov, Tkachuk and several depth forwards and Dmitry Kulikov on the shelf, forcing heavy usage on Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart and a blue line that’s already conceding more than three goals per night. Columbus, by contrast, is getting strong production from Fantilli, Marchenko, Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski, and has just hung 11 goals in its last two outings, suggesting its 2.96 goals-for average understates its current form. The one major counterweight is Sergei Bobrovsky’s dominance of his former club—he owns an overwhelmingly favorable career record against the Jackets and posted two shutouts versus Columbus last season with Barkov and Reinhart carving them up—but with Florida’s attack stripped of both Barkov and Tkachuk, that historical edge feels less decisive than usual. With the Panthers still priced as clear favorites at -165 despite their slump and injury load, the healthier, hotter Jackets at 140 offer the better blend of win probability and return; still, Bobrovsky’s track record and Florida’s championship ceiling keep this from elite status, so this moneyline sits at a solid B+ grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 06/12/2025 09:25am

Recent game flow points toward offense: Columbus has played back-to-back track meets, winning 5-3 and 6-5, and on the season its games are averaging more than six total goals thanks to a nearly three-goal attack and a defense allowing 3.30 per night with a bottom-tier penalty kill. Florida’s recent scores (5-3, 4-1, 2-1) show more variance, but over the full schedule the Panthers are also hovering around six combined goals per game, and their banged-up forward group still features Marchand, Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe and a power play that can exploit Columbus’ shaky PK. Even with Barkov and Tkachuk out, Florida’s depth plus a still-high-event style under Paul Maurice can generate enough chances, especially against a Columbus team that trades rushes and leans heavily on Elvis Merzlikins’ reflexes rather than defensive structure. At the same time, Bobrovsky’s ability to strangle this matchup—he has a long history of success against the Jackets, including a 3-0 shutout last March—caps the ceiling a bit and keeps the Over from being anything more than moderately strong. Overall, with both teams’ season-long numbers clustering just under the 6.5 and Columbus presently playing looser, the Over 6.5 at -105 gets a B grade, reflecting a decent edge but real goaltending risk if Bobrovsky or Merzlikins steals it. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 06/12/2025 09:25am

If Florida is overvalued on the moneyline, that same dynamic makes the Blue Jackets’ side of the puckline attractive, particularly given how tight their games have been: their recent schedule is littered with one-goal decisions, including the 6-5 and 5-3 wins that just ended their skid. The Panthers, meanwhile, are underwater in goal differential, struggling to score consistently without Barkov and Tkachuk while leaning on Marchand and Reinhart, and their last four contests have produced just seven goals for them despite playing all at home. Even when Florida dominated this series last season, one of the key meetings in Columbus finished 1-0 in overtime, underscoring how Merzlikins can keep the Jackets within a goal even against Bobrovsky and a high-powered Panthers power play, and this year’s Columbus roster is deeper through the middle with Fantilli, Boone Jenner, Monahan and Kent Johnson all active. With Florida’s forward group thinned, its defense missing Kulikov, and its recent form pointing to grind-it-out results rather than blowouts, requiring the champs to win by at least two to beat Jackets +1.5 feels like asking a lot. Because the price of -170 trims the payoff but the combination of Columbus’ competitiveness, Florida’s offensive injuries and the Panthers’ home slump suggests a high probability of a one-goal game or outright Jackets win, this puckline earns an A- as a safer way to back the road side. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 06/12/2025 09:25am