Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Pick & Prediction for 1/17

bangthebook nhl game preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. This regular-season game will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 7:00 PM and will air on ESPN+. The Blue Jackets, led by head coach Rick Bowness, hold a record of 21-19-7. They rank 15th in their conference and 7th in the Eastern Metropolitan Division.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, coached by Dan Muse, have a record of 22-14-10. They stand 8th in the conference and 3rd in the division. With a better division record of 9-4, the Penguins will aim to use their home advantage at PPG Paints Arena to secure another win. Fans can look forward to an exciting game between these division rivals.

Blue Jackets vs Penguins Game Day Info

  • Sport: NHL
  • Teams: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
  • Venue: PPG Paints Arena
  • Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
  • Betting Odds: Pittsburgh Penguins MoneyLine -132, Columbus Blue Jackets MoneyLine +109

Columbus Blue Jackets Team Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been on a roll recently, winning three of their last five games. They scored 4 goals against the Vancouver Canucks, with two of those coming from power plays. Their defense was strong too, allowing only 1 goal on 31 shots.

Elvis Merzlikins has been key in the net for the Blue Jackets. In their game against the Canucks, he stopped 30 of 31 shots. This performance followed a tough game against the Colorado Avalanche where he allowed 4 goals on 31 shots.

Kirill Marchenko has been making an impact on the ice. He notched a goal and an assist against the Canucks and added 2 assists in their win over the Utah Mammoth. Zach Werenski and Charlie Coyle have also been reliable contributors in recent games.

Pittsburgh Penguins Team Preview

The Pittsburgh Penguins recently had a strong performance against the Philadelphia Flyers, winning 6-3. They managed to score three power-play goals in that game. Stuart Skinner made 31 saves on 34 shots, helping secure the win.

In their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Penguins lost 2-1. Evgeni Malkin scored the only goal for the Penguins in that game. The team had 27 shots on goal, but they couldn’t find the net more than once.

Sidney Crosby leads the team in points this season with 51, including 25 goals and 26 assists. Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin are also key contributors, with Rust having 37 points and Malkin with 34 points. On defense, Erik Karlsson has 33 points and is an important player for the Penguins.

BTB Betting Pick

The Pittsburgh Penguins are favored to win against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a moneyline of -132. Pittsburgh’s skater stats, including 146 goals and 253 assists, rank them higher in offense. Columbus has a moneyline of +109, making them the underdog. Based on current form and stats, picking Pittsburgh to win is a reasonable choice. The projected score is Pittsburgh 4, Columbus 3.

The over/under for the game is set at 6.5. Pittsburgh and Columbus have solid offensive numbers, with Pittsburgh having 146 goals and Columbus with 140. Both teams have strong attacking players, suggesting a high-scoring game. Therefore, the recommendation is to take the over 6.5 at -118. The projected total score for the game is 7.