Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Islanders Prediction 3/22/2026 Today’s NHL Picks

In this article, we will formulate a Blue Jackets vs Islanders Prediction for this NHL game on Sunday, March 22nd. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this NHL matchup.

New York Islanders Preview

The Islanders have 83 points this season with a 39-26-5 record, and are 33-37 ATS and 31-37 in over/under. They have a 18-11-2 home record and a 21-15-3 road record and are sitting 4th in the Metropolitan Division. They are coming off a 7-3 road loss to the Canadiens, and their previous three games were a 3-2 road loss to the Senators, a 3-1 road win over the Maple Leafs, and a 3-2 home win over the Flames.

Offensively, the Islanders are averaging 2.87 goals per game and are scoring 16.8% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 2.81 goals per game and are killing 81.1% of their opponent’s power plays.

Mathew Barzal leads the Islanders with 64 points and 46 assists, while Bo Horvat leads the team in goals with 28. Ilya Sorokin is the starting goalie for the Islanders, and he has a 25-17-2 record, with 2.59 GAA and .911 SV%. David Rittich is the backup goalie and he has a 14-9-3 record, with 2.69 GAA and .898 SV%.

Columbus Blue Jackets Preview

The Blue Jackets have 85 points this season with a 37-21-11 record, and are 37-32 ATS and 32-33 in over/under. They have a 20-8-7 home record and a 17-13-4 road record and are sitting 3rd in the Metropolitan Division. They are coming off a 5-2 home win over the Kraken, and their previous three games were a 6-3 home win over the Rangers, a 5-1 home win over the Hurricanes, and a 2-1 road shootout win over the Flyers.

Offensively, the Blue Jackets are averaging 3.22 goals per game and are scoring 20.3% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 3.09 goals per game and are killing 77.5% of their opponent’s power plays.

Zach Werenski leads the Blue Jackets with 75 points and 20 goals, adding a team-high 55 assists. Jet Greaves is the starting goalie for the Blue Jackets, and he has a 23-12-8 record, with 2.61 GAA and .909 SV%. Elvis Merzlikins is the backup goalie and he has a 14-9-3 record, with 3.35 GAA and .885 SV%.

Columbus Blue Jackets @ New York Islanders Betting Trends: March 22, 2026

Why the New York Islanders will win

• The Islanders have won eight of their last nine games as home underdogs against Eastern Conference opponents.
• The Blue Jackets have lost each of their last four games on the second leg of a back-to-back against the Islanders.
• The Islanders have covered the puck line in each of their last seven games as home underdogs against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• The Blue Jackets have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five road games.
• The Islanders have won the first period in each of their last four home games against Metropolitan Division opponents.

Why the Columbus Blue Jackets will win

• The Blue Jackets have won each of their last six night games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• The Islanders have lost each of their last four games on the second leg of a back-to-back against the Blue Jackets.
• The Blue Jackets have covered the puck line in 10 of their last 11 road games against opponents on a losing streak.
• The Islanders have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last four games on the second leg of a back-to-back against the Blue Jackets.
• The Blue Jackets have won the third period in seven of their last eight games as favorites following a win.

Total Goals Facts

• Seven of the Islanders’ last eight games against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone UNDER the total goals line.
• Eight of the Blue Jackets’ last 10 games against opponents on a losing streak have gone UNDER the total goals line.
• Three of the last four games between two teams from the Metropolitan Division have gone OVER the total goals line.
• The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Islanders’ last seven night games at UBS Arena.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in eight of the Blue Jackets’ last nine games following a home win.

New York Islanders Player Prop Facts

• Matthew Schaefer has scored at least one goal in five of the Islanders’ last six games as underdogs against Eastern Conference opponents.
• Kyle Palmieri has recorded an assist in each of his last four appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
• Simon Holmstrom has scored two goals against the Blue Jackets this season – equal-most against any opponent.

Columbus Blue Jackets Player Prop Facts

• Kirill Marchenko has scored at least one goal in six of his last seven road appearances against Eastern Conference opponents.
• Kirill Marchenko has recorded at least one assist in each of the Blue Jackets’ last six games against opponents who are playing on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• Denton Mateychuk has recorded two assists against the Islanders this season – equal-most against any opponent.

Matchup/League Facts

• The New York Islanders rank 6th in the league for goals against per game this season (2.81).
• The New York Islanders rank 26th in the league in power play percentage this season (16.83%).
• The Columbus Blue Jackets rank 25th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (77.49%).
• The Columbus Blue Jackets rank T3rd in the league for Period 1 goals allowed per game this season (0.72).

Blue Jackets vs Islanders Prediction

The Islanders are 2-1 in their three meetings against the Blue Jackets this season, having won their only meeting in New York by 3-2.

In this Blue Jackets vs Islanders Prediction, the Blue Jackets are coming as -115 road favorites. Both teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back and the Blue Jackets have been red-hot lately with four consecutive wins and an excellent offense, as they have scored a total of 16 goals in their last three games. On the flip side, the Islanders have back-to-back losses and will be playing with their backup goalie today, while the Blue Jackets will play with their starter. I just cannot go against this Blue Jackets team, so take them on the moneyline on the road in this one.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets ML