Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 01/17/26

The Columbus Blue Jackets are travelling to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins for the fourth and final time this season. Earlier this week, the Blue Jackets made a coaching change, firing Dean Evason and replacing him with Rick Bowness. So far, this change has had a positive impact; the team has won their first two games, outscoring opponents 9-4. While it’s still early in the season and things can change, the surge in offensive production is certainly welcome. Currently, the Blue Jackets are averaging just 2.98 goals per game despite taking over 30 shots on goal.

On the other hand, the Penguins have recorded only two wins in their last five games, but they are coming off a strong 6-3 victory against their state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. A key factor in their success this season has been their power play, which ranks second in the league at 29.4%, trailing only the Edmonton Oilers. In contrast, the Blue Jackets’ penalty kill is below average, operating at 74.2%. If the Penguins can draw some penalties, they are likely to capitalize on one or two opportunities.

In their previous three meetings this season, the Over has hit, with two of those games ending with nine combined goals. We can expect a lot of offence and very little high-quality defence in this matchup.

Blue Jakcets vs Penguins Prediction: Over 6.5 (-115) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.