Calgary Flames vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 01/13/26

The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to host the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday night. The Blue Jackets made the move to fire head coach Dean Evason on Monday night. Evason leaves Columbus less than 2 years into his tenure with an overall record of 59-52-16. He nearly led the Blue Jackets to the playoffs last year during his season, missing the postseason by a mere 2 points. However, a slow start to the 2025-26 campaign ultimately led to his firing. The Blue Jackets find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan division with 45 points on the season, and have dropped 4 of their last 5 games.

With that being said, teams can experience a jolt of energy when playing for a new head coach. Veteran Rick Bowness is now behind the bench in Columbus, and he brings over 800 games of head coaching experience to his new team. This matchup against the Flames present Bowness a great opportunity to pickup a win in his first game in Columbus. The Flames have also dropped 4 of their last 5 games, and goal-scoring has been an issue all season long. Calgary ranks 31st in the NHL scoring 2.53 goals per game, and its power play percentage of 16.3% is dead last in the league. Of all the teams to face in your first game as a head coach with a new team, the Flames are an ideal opponent. Back the Blue Jackets in this one.

Flames vs Blue Jackets prediction: Blue Jackets ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable to -160.