NHL Blue Jackets vs Penguins Picks and Odds, March 21, 2025

Adam Fantilli has been on fire since his promotion making his point a best bet

We have a battle in the Metro Division tonight and it’s the only game on the board. The Columbus Blue Jackets will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at the PPG Paints Arena. These 2 faced off back in the beginning of January for what was a barn burner with the Jackets winning 4-3 in a shootout.

Columbus is 31-29-8 this season and 6th in the Metro. They come into this game on a 5-game losing streak and are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games. The Jackets struggle on the road too with a 11-19-4 record but need to get it together to stay in playoff contention.

This Blue Jackets offense has been pretty good, ranking 9th in goals scored and 13th in shots on goal per game. They shoot well with the 7th best shooting percentage in the league. The power play is not one of their strong points, ranking 23rd in the league.

Now on defense, they’re terrible. Columbus ranks 27th in goals allowed and 26th in shots on goal allowed per game. Special teams are also a struggle on defense, ranking 25th in penalty kill. The offense is what carries this team.

In net, we’re expected to see Daniil Tarasov. He is 7-8-2 this year with a 3.52 GAA and a .882 save percentage. Tarasov looks to get back in the win column after a loss to the Rangers last start.

Penguins need to get a win to stay in playoff contention

Penguins winger Rickard Rakell tries to screen the Blue Jackets goaltender after a shot on net.

Pittsburgh is 28-32-10 so far this year and are 7th in the Metro Division. They just lost to the Islanders on Tuesday night and are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. The Pens play better hockey at home, with a 17-14-5 record, but are terrible in divisional matchups with a 6-13-4 record.

We know this team has gotten old and you can tell. They rank 19th in goals scored and 16th in shots on goal per game, so they’re middle of the road. Pittsburgh has a decent power play that ranks 10th in the league and have an ok shooting percentage, ranking 16th.

It’s on defense where all the problems are. They rank 2nd worst in goals allowed and 4th worst in shots on goal per game. The Pens can barely hit a beachball with a tennis racket when it comes to defense. Their penalty kill ranks 19th and they commit about 3.5 penalties per game.

Goalie Tristan Jarry is expected to start. He is 12-9-4 with a 3.13 GAA and a .894 save percentage. Jarry is just coming off allowing 4 goals in the 3rd period vs the Islanders to blow a 2-goal lead and lose. Let’s check out the odds and get into the Blue Jackets vs Penguins picks.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Odds and Game Information

Blue Jackets vs Penguins Betting Odds

Puck Line

Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5 (-235)
Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (+186)

Moneyline

Columbus Blue Jackets +106
Pittsburgh Penguins -128

Totals

Over 6.5 (+100)
Under 6.5 (-122)

Odds courtesy of BetOnline – Get 50% up to $1000 on your first deposit

Bue Jackets vs Penguins Game Information

Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Date: Friday March 21, 2025
Puck Drop: 7pm EST
TV: SportsNet PT, FDSOH, NHL Network

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction and Picks

Columbus forward Dmitri Voronkov high fives his teammates after scoring a goal.

Blue Jackets vs Penguins Picks and Predictions: Game Total Over 6.5 Goals (+100) Get 50% up to $1000 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

I think we see a lot of what we did back in January and that’s goals. Both of these teams have some of the worst defenses in the league with decent offenses to go with it. These goals both have GAA’s north of 3, so we know they can both be leaky.

The way Jarry just blew that game for Pittsburgh Tuesday and completely shut down in the 3rd was rough. The Pens controlled the entire game going into that 3rd period and the Islanders just took advantage. I think we see Jarry allow 3-4 goals this game and he allowed 3 back in January.

Same goes for Tarasov on the other side. He has over a 3.50 GAA and has allowed 3 goals in each of his last 2 games. Tarasov could easily allow 4 goals to the Jackets. One thing is that he and the Penguins offense haven’t met yet this season, so could be interesting.

For props, I love Sidney Crosby everything. I really like for him to record an assist which should be priced around -125. He has 6 assists in his last 4 games vs the Jackets, including 2 in their last game played. I will also be sprinkling his 2+ points for somewhere around +200 value. His 1 point will probably be too juiced to play.