Columbus Blue Jackets vs Utah Hockey Club Prediction 1/31/25 NHL Picks

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Utah Hockey Club meet Friday in NHL action from the Delta Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Utah Hockey Club prediction.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recap

The Columbus Blue Jackets come into this game looking to build on a 2-1 OT win over the Vegas Golden Knights last time out to improve to 25-19-7 on the year. After this game, Columbus will head on the road for a game against the Dallas Stars.

Blue Jackets Win Back-To-Back Games

Going into the game against Vegas, Zach Werenski leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 54 points including 16 goals and a team-high 38 assists while Kirill Marchenko has 53 points with a team-high 20 goals and 33 assists. Sean Monahan has 41 points with 14 goals and 27 assists while Dmitri Voronkov has 33 points with 18 goals and 15 assists. Kent Johnson has 31 points with 14 goals and 17 assists and Cole Sillinger has 23 points with 16 assists. Daniil Tarasov is 4-7-2 with a 3.83 GAA and an .871 save percentage while Elvis Merzlikins is 18-11-3 with a 2.95 GAA and an .894 save percentage this season between the pipes for Columbus. Jet Greaves has also gone 2-1-2 with a 2.98 GAA and a .906 save percentage as well for the Blue Jackets.

Why the Columbus Blue Jackets will win

• The Blue Jackets have won each of their last four games as underdogs following an overtime win.
• Utah has lost each of its last three games as a home favorite against Metropolitan Division opponents.
• The Blue Jackets have covered the puck line in each of their last six road games against Central Division opponents.
• Utah has failed to cover the puck line in eight of its last nine games as a home favorite against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.

Utah Hockey Club Recap

The Utah Hockey Club come into this game looking to bounce back from a 3-2 OT loss to Pittsburgh last time out to fall to 21-21-8 on the year. After this game, Utah will welcome the St. Louis Blues to town.

Utah Loses 3rd Straight

Clayton Keller leads Utah in scoring with 54 points including 18 goals and a team-high 36 assists while Dylan Guenther has 34 points with 16 goals. Logan Cooley has 43 points with 15 goals and 28 assists of his own while Nick Schmaltz has 30 assists. Mikhail Sergachev has 31 points with 22 assists while Barrett Hayton has 26 points with 12 goals and 14 assists. Connor Ingram has gone 8-6-4 with a 3.31 GAA and an .881 save percentage while Karel Vejmelka has gone 11-14-3 with a 2.47 GAA and a .912 save percentage in goal for Utah this season. Jaxson Stauber has gone 2-1-1 with a 2.23 GAA and a .925 save percentage this season as well for Utah.

Why the Utah Hockey Club will win

• The Blue Jackets have lost each of their last 12 games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• The home team has won 16 of the Blue Jackets’ last 21 games.
• The Blue Jackets have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last 12 games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
• Utah has covered the puck line in five of its last six games after coming off overtime.

Total Goals Facts

• Ten of Utah’s last 11 games after coming off overtime have gone UNDER the total goals line.
• Eight of the Blue Jackets’ last nine games have gone UNDER the total goals line.

Blue Jackets vs. Utah Hockey Club Prediction

I’m going to take a shot at the Blue Jackets here. I know that backing a team on the back-to-back isn’t always ideal, especially a back-to-back from Vegas and a back-to-back after beating the Golden Knights in Vegas, but the Blue Jackets are in better form right now and the Utah Hockey Club has been overvalued at home all season long. Utah plays their best on the road, and I just think that the Blue Jackets show a lot of value here. Give me Columbus.