Penguins vs Blue Jackets

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins roll into Nationwide on a four-game win streak, while the Blue Jackets have quietly won four of their last five but still carry a negative season goal differential compared to Pittsburgh’s positive mark, which is a meaningful gap at this stage. With no significant injuries listed on either side and ESPN’s current rosters confirming that core pieces like Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, Zach Werenski, and Kirill Marchenko are all active, this looks like something close to each team’s best version. Pittsburgh’s long-term dominance of this matchup is hard to ignore – the Pens have points in 17 of their last 18 against Columbus and are 23-3-5 in the series since 2017, including a 4-3 overtime win earlier this season in which Crosby scored twice – which tilts the matchup edge toward the road side despite the Jackets’ recent confidence boost. Add in the special-teams gap, with Pittsburgh owning a top-tier power play and strong penalty kill against a Columbus PK that has lagged near the bottom of the league over the full season, and the underdog price around 105 on the Penguins looks like the better side of the moneyline, even with Columbus at home and desperate for Metro points in a tight playoff race. I’ll take Pittsburgh on the moneyline for a B+ grade, leaning on form, matchup history, and special teams while accepting the volatility that comes with a divisional road dog. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/01/2026 09:25 ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-penguins?utm_source=openai))

Both teams come in on winning runs, with Pittsburgh 5-4-1 and Columbus 5-5-0 over their last 10, and those stretches have featured respectable offense from each side rather than grind-it-out defensive hockey, which naturally pushes this total toward the higher side. Injuries aren’t suppressing scoring here – neither club is listing major absences, and ESPN’s rosters confirm that front-line drivers like Crosby, Bryan Rust, Werenski, and Boone Jenner are all available to influence pace and special teams. In the recent head-to-head, the Pens’ 4-3 overtime win already cleared this same 6.5 number, and Columbus’ blue-line scoring punch with Werenski plus a suddenly confident supporting cast has helped push their goals-per-game up over their last handful of outings, while Pittsburgh continues to lean on a top-three power play that can punish a Blue Jackets penalty kill that has been bottom-tier on the season, even if it’s been sharper in the last 10 games. Layer in the back-to-back goaltending dynamics – with Columbus potentially turning from red-hot Jet Greaves to Elvis Merzlikins and Pittsburgh likely moving from Stuart Skinner to Arturs Silovs – and you get increased variance and a higher probability of defensive breakdowns behind tired legs, which is usually friendly to an over. Given the offensive form, special-teams profile, and goalie uncertainty, I like Over 6.5 at -125 for a B-grade: the price isn’t cheap, but the combination of shooting talent and situational factors points toward goals. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/01/2026 09:25 ([washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nhl/2026/01/04/penguins-blue-jackets-preview/6636876c-e94d-11f0-ae3e-837f914c795b_story.html?utm_source=openai))

Given Pittsburgh’s four-game heater and Columbus’ solid 4-1 stretch, the most likely script here is a tight Metro grinder rather than a blowout, which naturally makes the underdog side of the puckline more attractive. With both teams essentially at full health and all of the primary offensive weapons active per the current ESPN rosters, you’re not banking on injury luck to keep this margin close – you’re betting that the Jackets’ recent defensive tightening and the Penguins’ strong 5-on-5 profile translate into another one-goal game in a series that has already produced a 4-3 overtime decision this season. Crosby’s long track record of carving up Columbus, Werenski’s ability to drive offense from the back end, and the Jackets’ reliance on their young goaltender Jet Greaves – or a shakier Elvis Merzlikins in a back-to-back scenario – all suggest swings in momentum rather than a wire-to-wire home rout, especially with Pittsburgh’s special teams giving them a built-in stabilizer whenever they draw penalties. I like the idea of pairing a Pittsburgh moneyline position with Penguins +1.5 at -225 for added protection, but the heavy juice dings the value enough that this lands at a C+ grade: it’s a high-probability leg for parlays or risk-averse bettors, just not a standout standalone wager given the price. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/01/2026 09:25 ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-penguins?utm_source=openai))