Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction NHL Picks 3/30/24

Columbus Blue Jackets (23-38-12) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (32-30-10)

Game Info: Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 7:00 pm (Nationwide Arena)

Betting Odds: Columbus Blue Jackets +148 / Pittsburgh Penguins -185 --- Over/Under: 6.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets meet Saturday in NHL action at the Nationwide Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Penguins vs Blue Jackets prediction.

Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Penguins recently beat the Hurricanes and Blue Jackets, while losing to the Avalanche and Stars. The Pittsburgh Penguins are averaging 2.92 goals per game and are scoring on 14.9 percent of their power play opportunities. Sidney Crosby leads Pittsburgh with 35 goals, Erik Karlsson has 38 assists, and Jake Guentzel has 185 shots on goal. Defensively, the Pittsburgh Penguins are allowing 2.97 goals per game and are killing 81.1 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Tristan Jarry has allowed 131 goals on 1,355 shots faced, and Alex Nedelijkovic has given up 71 goals on 750 shots.

Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets are coming off losses to the Jets, Red Wings, Avalanche, Golden Knights, Coyotes, and Penguins. The Columbus Blue Jackets are averaging 2.84 goals per game and are scoring on 14.9 percent of their power play opportunities. Boone Jenner leads Columbus with 22 goals, Johnny Gaudreau has 43 assists and Kirill Marchenko has 167 shots on goal. Defensively, the Columbus Blue Jackets are allowing 3.66 goals per game and are killing 76.1 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Daniil Tarasov has allowed 70 goals on 735 shots faced, and Elvis Merzlikins has given up 127 goals on 1,233 shots.

Columbus Blue Jackets Player Prop Facts

  • Alexander Nylander has scored at least one goal in five of the Blue Jackets' last six night games at Nationwide Arena.
  • Johnny Gaudreau has recorded at least one assist in four of the Blue Jackets' last five home games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
  • Patrik Laine has recorded at least one point in each of his last 10 Saturday night appearances at Nationwide Arena.
  • Alexandre Texier has recorded two assists against the Penguins this season - equal-most against any opponent.

Pittsburgh Penguins Player Prop Facts

  • Bryan Rust has scored at least one goal in four of his last five appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
  • Sidney Crosby has recorded at least one assist in seven of the Penguins' last eight games.
  • Evgeni Malkin has recorded at least one point in 24 of his last 27 appearances against the Blue Jackets.
  • Jesse Puljujarvi has recorded two blocks against the Blue Jackets this season - most against any opponent.

Matchup/League Facts

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets rank 31st in the league for goals against per game this season (3.66).
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets rank 31st in the league in power play percentage this season (14.87%).
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 30th in the league in power play percentage this season (14.89%).
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of only two teams to win 12+ games when tied or trailing after Period 2 this season.

Penguins vs Blue Jackets prediction

I'm not in love with the juice, but the Penguins are coming off back to back wins over the Hurricanes and Blue Jackets, and they're still in the playoff hunt. We can't say the same about the Blue Jackets, who have now lost 6 straight games and are getting blasted on the defensive side. The Penguins have won 9 of the last 10 games against the Blue Jackets, and that includes two wins this month. These games are gifts to a Penguins team fighting for its playoff life. I'll side with the Penguins and take the PL to shave down the expensive price.

Randy’s Pick Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5

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The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

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