The Columbus Blue Jackets (23-37-12) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins (31-30-10) on Thursday, March 28th. This game will be played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and televised on ESPN+. The Penguins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jackets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Coyotes. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Blue Jackets vs Penguins

The Columbus Blue Jackets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With just 58 points, the Blue Jackets are 16th in the Eastern Conference and 8th in the Metropolitan Division. They have lost three straight games and are 0-5 in their last five games. On the road, Columbus is 10-19-7 this season. In games against other Eastern Conference teams, the Blue Jackets have gone 10-32.

As the underdog, Columbus has gone 19-35-11 this season, including a three-game losing streak. When playing on the road, the Blue Jackets have lost three straight games. In games where they have been the underdog, Columbus has gone 0-3 in their last three games.

When it comes to the puck line, Columbus has gone just 5-5 over their last ten games. On the road, the Blue Jackets have a puck line mark of 20-16 this season and their average scoring margin is -.8 goals per contest.

So far this year, Columbus has gone 37-28 against the puck line as the underdog, and they have dropped their last three games vs. the puck line. Overall, the Blue Jackets have 15 wins by multiple goals and their average scoring margin as the underdog is at -1 goal per game.

In their most recent game, the Blue Jackets fell to the Coyotes on the road by a score of 6-2. In the offensive department, the Blue Jackets notched one goal during the first period and one time in the second period. During power plays, the team scored two goals. In total, they recorded 27 shots on goal and had 7 giveaways.

As the underdog, Columbus suffered both a straight-up and loss vs. the puck line. The combined total of 8 goals exceeded the over/under line, which was set at 6.5 goals for the game.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win

At home this season, the Penguins have gone 19-13-4, and they have won two straight games at home. In the Eastern Conference, the Penguins are in 13th place and have gone 17-23 against the conference. Overall, Pittsburgh has gone 31-30-10.

Over their last ten games, the Penguins have gone just 3-7, and they have dropped two of their last three games. As the favorite, Pittsburgh has gone 21-15-6 this season and have been favored in 42 of their 71 games.

When playing at home this season, the Penguins have a puck line record of 17-19 and an average scoring margin of +.2 goals per game. In their last ten home games, Pittsburgh’s puck line record is 5-5.

So far this season, the Penguins have 22 wins by multiple goals compared to just nine wins by one goal. Overall, Pittsburgh’s puck line record is 33-38.

Facing the Hurricanes in their last game, the Penguins won by a score of 4-1. Offensively, the Penguins couldn’t break through in the first period, but they scored two times in the second period and two goals in the third. All four goals came at even strength. They finished with 22 shots on goal and had 12 turnovers.

Despite being the underdog, Pittsburgh managed to secure a win against the puck line in the game. With a combined total of 5 goals, the game concluded below the over/under line of 6.

Columbus Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Blue Jackets are averaging 2.8 goals per game which is 25th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 19th in the league. Looking at how the Blue Jackets’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 32nd in power play goals and 29th in shorthanded goals.

So far, the Blue Jackets have an over/under record of 34-34-4. Coming into the game, they have played 37 games that went beyond the 6.5 over/under line. Their games, on average, had 6.6 goals per game.

Penguins Offense Breakdown

When looking at their offense, the Penguins have an average of 2.9 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 24th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 6th in the league. This year, the Penguins have recorded a 19-18 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 11-11 record.

The Penguins come in with an over/under record of 29-37-5. Over the course of the season, they have had 41 games failing to surpass the 6.5 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 6 per game.

Columbus Team Defense

The Blue Jackets defense is currently 1st in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 33.6 shots per game against Columbus. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 30th with 1 shutouts.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

Pittsburgh defense takes on the Blue Jackets ranked 14th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 30.3 shots per game against Pittsburgh. They also are 1st in shutouts, with 7 shutouts.

Blue Jackets vs Penguins Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 0-5 while going 1-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 1 goals per game in these contests.
• The Penguins are 3-2 puck line in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
• In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Penguins have a straight up record of 1-9 and an puck line mark of 3-7.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 5-5. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 4-6.

Blue Jackets vs Penguins Prediction

If you’re interested in a pure moneyline wager, then the Penguins is the preferred option. However, with a payout of -233, it might be worth considering this bet as a component of a larger parlay.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Blue Jackets to cover. Even in the event of a Penguins victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Blue Jackets should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.